JUST IN: Armed robbers strike, loot 4t gold ore

Crime Reporter
SIX robbers armed with stones and axes raided a mine in Gwanda and got away with four tonnes of gold ore, R700 and a Samsung mobile phone after attacking five people who sleeping in a room.
The incident happened over the weekend at BN Syndicate Mine, Ruthgate, in Gwanda around 1 am on Saturday.

Police have since arrested three of the suspects- Wiston Ndlovu (31), Decent Moyo (25) and Ashton Moyo (29).
The five people sustained various injuries and are in stable conditions.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.
“We are investigating a case in which five people were robbed of gold ore, cash and a mobile phone at a mine in Gwanda on July 12, 2020 after they were attacked by a group of men armed with stones and axes.
“The ore was loaded into a blue Nissan Atlas truck by the accused persons who then fled the scene,” he said.
The robbers are reported to have raided the mine and went to a room in which the five victims were sleeping where they force-marched them into a mine shaft four metres deep.

The robbers assaulted the victims with the stones and axes all over their bodies while forcing them to load the gold ore into the truck.
After loading the ore, the robbers sped off and a report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
Nothing was recovered and police are still looking for the other three suspects who are still at large.
Asst Comm Nyathi said police believe that the robbers had inside information about the mine.

Cases of armed robberies have been on the rise since the beginning of this year, with businesspeople, mines and illegal money changers, being targeted across the country.
In May, police arrested seven people for allegedly robbing two gold miners of R11 500 and 600kg of gold ore at Goodcow Mine in Maphisa, Matabeleland South Province.
The seven, who were armed with firearms, machetes and axes, pounced on unsuspecting miners, Gadzanani Moyo (28) and Noble Ndiweni (20), and loaded their loot into a getaway car, which was later impounded by police.

They also robbed the miners of R11 500 and US$20 before driving off in a getaway vehicle. Police tracked the vehicle, which is South African registered and found it parked at one of the suspects’ homestead, which led to the seven’s arrests and impounding of their get-away vehicle.