COMMENT: Kudos to police for quick reaction to How Mine gold heist

POLICE in Bulawayo should be commended for their quick reaction that led to the arrest of three suspected armed robbers linked to a gang that got away with How Mine’s 11,9 kilogrammes of gold worth US$450 000 and four guns on Tuesday.

Their colleagues in Beitbridge deserve special mention for being alert as one of the three suspects was arrested while trying to flee into South Africa.

While the robbery had all the hallmarks of planning and co-ordination by the criminals, the police showed they were on top of the situation by investigating and making arrests within a few hours of the heist.

Antony Moyo (39), Wilson Mutandwa (24) and Earnest Mutandwa (30) have since appeared at Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.

The court granted an application by the police to further detain the suspects and the trio was subsequently taken back to Bulawayo Central Police Station for further investigations.

On Tuesday, the three suspects together with 10 others who are still at large, pounced on three private security company cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicles which were carrying gold from How Mine.

The suspects, who were travelling in three cars; a Toyota Hilux GD6, a Nissan Hardbody single-cab and a Nissan March, ambushed and blocked the convoy before disarming the security guards and loading the gold into their vehicles.

The CIT vehicles were carrying gold worth US$450 000, which was destined for Fidelity Printers. The mine is about 22km from Bulawayo.

On the same day, police officers received information that some of the stolen items were abandoned at a house under construction along Folly Road, West Somerton in Bulawayo.

Detectives reacted to the report and recovered, car keys, 3 x 9mm spent cartridges, a black glove, a 303-rifle loaded with eight live rounds and three empty metal boxes.

Police arrested Moyo who implicated both Mutandwas.
Further investigations by the police established that the South Africa-registered Nissan NP 300 single-cab vehicle, registration number HR3OXJGP, which was abandoned by the suspects at the scene, belongs to Ximba Nkosilathi, also known as Tonderai Vumbunu and was at times seen being driven by Antony Moyo.

While the police are working to account for the rest of the How Mine robbers, the arrest should serve to show that the law enforcement agents are equal to the task and all those that break the law, it’s only a matter of time before they are caught.

Article Source: The Chronicle