12 Zimbabweans on Interpol wanted list

AT least 12 Zimbabweans are on the international police most wanted list for committing various offences regionally and internationally, while five others are recorded as missing persons whom the police organisation is searching for.

According to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), there are more than 258 people they are looking for in connection with various offences.

Some of the offences include murder, corruption, crimes against children, financial crimes, firearms, fugitives, organised crime, human smuggling, pharmaceutical crimes, terrorism, trafficking in human beings, trafficking in illicit goods, vehicle crimes, wanted persons, war and weapons crimes, among others.

Three of the 12 most wanted Zimbabweans are women, while among the nine men is one wanted in Botswana for murder.

The 12 are Stanford Mandizvidza (32) of Gweru, Tendai Elvis Makiseni (33) of Bikita, Resina Shumba (34) of Masvingo, Chimanga Chimanga (31), a woman only identified as Dhlamini (33) of Harare, Underson Muridzi (39) of Buhera, Joseph Nyathi (42) of Bulawayo, Peraon Tafadzwa Lamuel Kadzimu (32) of Shamva, Juliet (47) and Naison Nyachuru (52), Douglas Mabuzve (30) of Gokwe and Remember Muboko (26).

Mandizvidza is wanted for armed robbery, Makiseni is up for armed robbery, Shumba (fraud and theft), Chimanga (armed robbery), Dhlamini (theft), Muridzi (theft) Nyathi (murder), Kadzimu (fraud), Juliet and Naison Nyachuru (for conducting banking business and activities without being registered), Mabuzve (fraud) and Muboko for theft.

Interpol said the names of the five Zimbabweans who have been reported missing and cannot be located for the past few years are Austin Bene (50), Tapiwa Chitsinde (30) of Mazowe, Paul Chizuze (55), James John Haliptflesch (57) and Raymond Rey Mafavuke (46) of Harare.

Bene went missing in 2002 when he was 39, Chitsinde disappeared in 2010 when he was 27, Chizuze (in 2012 in Bulawayo when he was 54), Haliptflesch in 2002 when he was 46 in Durban, South Africa, while Mafavuke went missing in 2008 when he was 41.

Police yesterday said the wanted persons had been placed under Interpol's Red Notices which meant they were wanted in several countries for committing various crimes.

The accused are suspected to be in the habit of acquiring new identification documents to evade arrest.

Police in some countries regionally and internationally, through Interpol, inform their Zimbabwean counterparts about any locals they would be looking for, resulting with them being placed under the Red Notices.

According to Interpol Harare, they are also looking for two foreigners in connection with theft and dealing in dangerous drugs.

All the suspects are believed to be hiding in other countries.

The foreigners are a Zambian identified as Samulatta (38) of Lusaka and Doctor Itumeleng (28) of Botswana.

Last month, a Zimbabwean, who was wanted in Botswana for murdering a 79-year-old Francistown pensioner, appeared at a magistrates' court in the neighbouring country.

According to media reports, Botswana authorities had been seeking William Munyaradzi Mapurisa's extradition from Zimbabwe for seven years.

Mapurisa (29), who used to stay at Block V in Francistown, but originally from Masvingo, was last month extradited to Botswana.

Interpol is the world's largest international police organisation, with 190 member countries, including Zimbabwe. Its role is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place.

Interpol's high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century.

All the member countries are connected through a secure communications system known as I-24/7.

This gives police real-time access to criminal databases containing millions of records.

Interpol's unique system of notices is used to alert member countries to fugitives, dangerous criminals, missing persons or weapons threats.