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Crime Reporter
Police in Kadoma have arrested four suspects believed to have been part of a gang of 30 illegal miners who raided Muzvezve Mine while armed with machetes, burning a vehicle and damaging two others in the process last Friday.
Garnet Ndebele (31), Sunboy Moyo (23), Simbarashe Gweshe (20) and Tavaziva Kufambira (44) were arrested on charges of malicious damage to property.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the four were allegedly part of the group of 30 who invaded the mining area while armed with machetes, axes, knobkerries and spears.
“They attacked the security guards at the mining site and torched a Nissan Caravan vehicle (AEE 8999), a Mossberg rifle and various cellphones which were in the vehicle before damaging a Honda Airwave vehicle and an excavator,” he said.
Investigations carried out by the police then led to the arrest of the suspects.
Police are also investigating circumstances surrounding the death of a 32-year-old man who died in a disused mine shaft at Durban Mine in Nkayi last week. It is believed that the man and two others went to the mine to extract gold ore.
The victim was lowered into the mine shaft where he is believed to have suffocated in the unventilated shaft with its high levels of carbon dioxide.
“The body was retrieved from the shaft and had blood coming out from the mouth and it was taken to Inyathi Hospital mortuary for post mortem,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Police in Mazowe have also arrested 17 suspects for violating Covid-19 regulations and for prospecting for gold without licences at Bigy Bigy area.
Five generators, three electrical jack hammers, a pressure jack hammer, two motor box head, eight shovels, two air blowers, four picks, 20 litres of diesel and a 36m rope were recovered at the site.
In a related incident, police in Chinhoyi recovered abandoned mining equipment at Mwendo Mining Syndicate last Wednesday.
The equipment, which included eight hammer mill engines, water pump, welding machine and electric motors, were recovered during a police raid after the owners fled the mining site.
Online Reporter