Robbers vanish with 650kg gold ore

WORKERS at a gold mine in Penhalonga lost 650kg of gold ore to three cunning robbers who pounced on the mine on Sunday night armed with AK47 rifles.

One of the criminals was clad in Zimbabwe National Army regalia.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda, confirmed the robbery which occurred at Tsanzaume Mining and Milling Company.

He said detectives were still investigating the case and no arrests have been made.

Insp Chananda said on the day in question, Allen Nyabeze (35) and

eight other workers were at the mine when they were approached by the three suspects.

The robbers ordered the workers to sit down and switch off their cellphones. The accused persons claimed to be law enforcing officers who were investigating a gold theft case.

They told the workers that they had stolen gold which was at the mine and were all under arrest.

One of the robbers was dressed in a ZNA uniform, while the others were in civilian attire armed with AK47 rifles loaded with magazines.

Nyabeze and his workmates were ordered to load a total of 13x50kg bags of gold ore into an Isuzu KB260 truck belonging to Nyabeze.

The complainant was ordered to drive to Penhalonga Police Station and along the way they met another group which emerged from the bushes and were using a Toyota Noah, Registration ADP 6109.

Among the occupants was another suspect who was clad in army regalia.

The complainant was ordered to drive to Lead Mine in Penhalonga with the Toyota Noah escorting him.

Upon arrival, the security guard refused to open the gate and the complainant was ordered to drive to Talaz Hammer Mill. Along the way, the robbers ordered the complainant to stop and offloaded the gold ore into the Toyota Noah which was following behind.

After the loot was loaded, the robbers ordered the workers to go back to their hammer mill.

At around midnight, a report was made at ZRP Penhalonga.

Detectives from the Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit who attended the scene established that the Toyota Noah which was used in the robbery was registered in the name of Westorn John Tizora of Kubatana Community Organisation, Penhalonga.

The detectives visited Kubatana Community Organisation at Muchena in Penhalonga but they could not locate Tizora.

They met his son who told them that his father had gone out.