US$720K HEIST GANG BOUGHT CARS, SPOILED RELATIVES
One of them gave his mother US$10 000 cash He then gave his wife a US$5 000 cash bonus Another suspect bought Pro Max 14, 15 iPhones
THE six-member gang suspected of staging a US$720 000 heist in Belgravia, Harare, on Sunday splashed part of the loot on a Ford Ranger truck, a Toyota Aqua and a Toyota Mark X, amid reports that they also pampered their mothers and wives with cash presents.
They hit Quest Financial Services in Belgravia, Harare.
Three employees of the firm have been implicated in the heist.
Some of the suspects are still on the run and police have been granted more time to complete their investigations and arrest the rest of the gang members.
Magistrate Donald Ndirowei granted the application yesterday when six of the gang members appeared in court.
Of the six suspects, who have been arrested to date, the oldest is 31.
The youngest is 23 and the others are between the ages of 25 and 29.
They are Brighton Chikukwa (28), Silence Matambo (29), Washington Mangwanda (23), Liberty Mukanganise (31), Tafadzwa Richard Marondera (25) and Luke Zinyengere (28).
They allegedly stole US$720 676, R10 500 and €120 in cash.
They allegedly also stole a CZ Vzor pistol and three laptops.
After footage of the robbers was
released on Tuesday, detectives from CID Homicide received information linking Chikukwa to the offence.
They tracked him to Mbare where he was arrested.
He then implicated other gang members as well as three Quest Financial Services employees.
Detectives established that Chikukwa received US$40 000 cash, as part of his share of the loot, and they recovered US$25 000 cash.
The detectives also impounded a Ford Ranger truck he had bought for US$14 300 using proceeds from the heist.
Matambo and Mangwanda were arrested in Mbare after detectives used Chikukwa to lure them.
The detectives recovered US$22 000 cash from them.
It was established that Mangwanda was given US$25 000, as part of his share, which he used to buy a Toyota Aqua for US$5 300.
He gave his mother US$10 000 and handed over US$5 000 to his wife for personal use. Mukanganise was arrested at Boka Tobacco Auction Floors.
He had been given a US$23 000 share. He led detectives to the recovery of US$20 560 cash, a car radio, a sub-woofer, seat covers valued at US$55, four Size 15 tyres valued at US$240, car shields valued at US$35 and Mag wheels valued at US$400. Marondera and Zinyengere were arrested in Glen View.
They led the detectives to the recovery of US$50 600 cash.
It was established that Marondera was given US$35 000, while Zinyengere was given US$25 000.
The detectives recovered a Mark X vehicle, which Zinyengere had bought for US$11 000, an iPhone 14 Pro Max bought for US$1 300 and an iPhone 15 Pro Max bought for US$1 500.