3 more robbers nabbed along Limpopo
THE National Security Taskforce yesterday intercepted three armed robbers along the Limpopo River and recovered an assortment of firearms and ammunition.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the trio was arrested by a team of security officials who are carrying out an operation to eradicate crime on Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa.
He said Tafara Moyo (30), Munyaradzi Ncube (27) and Elphus Chigudubudze (34), were nabbed near the Nyampanzani area.
Asst Comm Nyathi said police recovered two pistols, three 9mm rounds, two 12 bore rounds and two pistol magazines from the suspects.
“The three were monitored as they came into the country from South Africa while carrying three bags.
“They were ambushed, cornered and overpowered. A search of the bags was done leading to the discovery of two Vector CPI pistols with no serial numbers, a Bereta Gardone CPX4 pistol, serial number 3181E and an empty magazine and another with three rounds of a 9mm and two by 12 bore guage sillier.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said preliminary investigations revealed that the trio resides in South Africa.
It was also established that they were targeting mostly those people smuggling cigarettes into South Africa.
Added Asst Comm Nyathi: “Further investigations into the matter are underway and I want to warn those involved in criminal activities at the border that their days were numbered.”
The incident comes a few weeks after the police arrested one of the most wanted man, Bigboy Chauke of Mugwazhuli Village in Beitbridge.
Chauke had been on the run for almost a month after unleashing a trail of armed robberies along the Limpopo River and some villages east of the border town.
Zimbabwe deployed the taskforce to the border in January following an upsurge in criminal activities that were prejudicing the country millions of dollars in import duty.
On the import side, groceries, fuel, diapers, electrical gadgets are the most smuggled items. Minerals, cigarettes and explosives form the bulk of the goods being smuggled into South Africa.