Moffat Mungazi
Solomon Bhumu
Post Reporter
A GROUP of nine armed men broke into an Econet cellular booster facility positioned in Tsanzaguru, Rusape and made off with a significant amount of diesel.
Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident, which took place on April 5.
“Nine armed men forcibly entered an Econet booster site in Tsanzaguru, making off with several liters of diesel fuel and a security guard’s mobile phones,” he said, adding that the break-in occurred at around 1am when security guard, Wonderful Marisa (39) was on duty.
He said the nine unknown assailants attacked and overpowered Marisa while he was conducting routine perimeter checks around the booster.
The attackers were armed with a pistol, bolt cutter, and grinder, and also carried several empty 25-litre plastic containers.
Marisa was tied by shoelaces and two men stayed behind to watch over him, while the others proceeded to the booster’s main entrance where, they used a bolt cutter to cut through the gate and gain access into the facility.
They proceeded to break the generator lock using the same bolt cutter and siphoned off diesel from the generator.
“An unknown quantity of diesel was siphoned from the generator, which has a 1000 litre tank capacity and the generator had been refilled on March 29 prior to the incident,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
The individuals allegedly seized two Gtel smartphones worth US$300 from Murisa.
The suspects drove off in an unidentified vehicle, and Marisa, after freeing himself, quickly reached a nearby homestead to use a phone to alert his supervisor about the incident.
A police report was filed at ZRP Rusape Central and investigations are ongoing.
Online Reporter