Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 27-YEAR-OLD Beitbridge man who was recently arrested for breaking into and stealing from 16 vehicles in the border town has been denied bail.
Tafadzwa Mhofu of Dulivhadzimu Suburb was arrested on Wednesday last week after raiding his latest victim in the Tshitaudze suburb (Ma two-rooms).
He is believed to be part of a syndicate of thieves who break windows to gain access to most vehicles and steal valuables including money, car batteries, radios, amplifiers, among others.
Mhofu was not asked to plead to 16 counts of theft from Motor Vehicles when he appeared before Beitbridge Resident Magistrate Mr Takudwa Gwazemba, who remanded him in custody to July 12.
Prosecuting, Mr Ronald Mugwagwa told the court that the accused was in the habit of stealing from parked vehicles at night around most high-density suburbs in the border town.
He said Mhofu was arrested by police detectives acting on a tip-off on June 23 at his Dulivhadzimu house.
The court heard that Mhofu revealed during interrogations that he used a screwdriver, scissors, and a pair of pliers to break into the vehicles.
He then led the police to several houses around the high-density suburbs where he had stolen car batteries, car radios, and other valuables from the parked motor vehicles.
A total of 18, 12 volts car batteries, two amplifiers, four speakers, one pressure pump, and one car radio were recovered from various people who had bought the items from Mhofu.
His ‘tools of the trade’ including a pair of pliers, three screwdrivers, and a pair of scissors were confiscated by the police. – @tupeyo
Online Reporter