POLICE have confirmed the arrest of Godfrey Mupamhanga, Prince Zakeo and Maxwell Stanley, alias Dennis Mateta, all from Harare in connection with nine cases of armed robbery which occurred between August 2019 and March 19 this year.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi also confirmed the death of five members of the gang, in a shootout with police officers after a high-speed chase, as Dennis Stanley Dube, alias Dingola, one only known as Johnson, Taurai Chitepo and two foreign nationals.
Nyathi said they had successfully linked the gang to nine cases of armed robbery and some of the cases include the armed robbery which occurred on December 20.
Last year at Wessesol Shop in Msasa, Harare, the robbers disarmed a security guard and stole a Special Amadeo Rossi revolver, $160 000 and an Isuzu KB-240 single-cab vehicle, which was later recovered abandoned along Acturus Road.
It is alleged that on February 20 this year at around 2pm, the gang went to Makoni Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza armed with pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle and robbed forex dealers of cash totalling US$19 000, $30 000, mobile phones and a Toyota Allion vehicle.
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The vehicle was later found abandoned in Glen View.
On February 26, the accused persons robbed a complainant in Harare, of US$40 000, jewellery, several pairs of shoes, laptops, mobile phones, a Star pistol and Hyundai vehicle at gunpoint.
They went further to rob the complainant at his workplace and got away with cash and property valued at US$227 250, ZAR28 000.
Only US$10 000 was recovered.
Police said they recovered an assortment of firearms and ammunition from the accused persons, some of which had been stolen from victims — a 9mm CZ pistol, Star pistol, Bruno pistol, .38 Special Amadeo Rossi revolver, FN Browning pistol, 20x9m live rounds, 4×7.65 mm live rounds.
Police also clarified that Musa Taj Abdul, alias Musa Mahommed, who was said to be among the arrested gang members, was still on the police wanted list.