Villagers Mount Roadblock, Arrest Bogus Detectives

Crime Reporter

One villager was shot and injured in Mutawatawa, a village in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East province last Friday after he and other villagers mounted a roadblock to intercept suspected armed robbers. The armed robbers had posed as police detectives and robbed one of the villagers of 15 000 United States dollars and 49 grams of gold.

Zimbabwe Criminal Investigations Department spokesperson, Detective Inspector Portia Chinho confirmed the arrest to ZTN.

“Criminal Investigations Department Murewa is investigating a robbery and attempted murder case which occurred at Dindi business centre, Pfungwe, Murewa. Two accused persons, Chikomborero Gono aged 26, of Nyakudanga village, Chief Rusambo, Rushinga and Luckon Tsingano aged 32 years, Magadziko village, Chief Rusambo, Rushinga have since been arrested,” said Detective Inspector Chinho.

According to police, five suspects, robbed Tinotenda Karumazondo, a gold dealer, at gunpoint and abducted him, before dumping him kilometers away from his home. Karumazondo’s landlord alerted other villagers of the robbery and they mounted a roadblock and intercepted the suspects.

“On the same day at around 2200 hours the accused persons were confronted by the villagers who had mobilized each other and set up a roadblock. One of the accused persons fired a shot which hit one of the villagers on the wrists to scare them off. The villagers pursued the accused persons who then disembarked from their gate away car and ran in different directions. They managed to apprehend two of them whilst the other three escaped,”police said.

The other two were apprehended and handed over to police and are currently in police custody. A manhunt for the other suspects has since been launched.