dyton mupawaenda
Leonard Ncube-Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE in Victoria Falls have arrested two suspects, one of them a Bulawayo-based detective, believed to be part of a syndicate of robbers that had been terrorising residents for several months by breaking into their homes and stealing property.
Last Thursday, police swiftly reacted to an emergency call from a resident after he spotted five suspects scaling a precast wall before they attempted to force open his window at around 10pm.
This comes as residents of the resort city have lately been having sleepless nights due to a spate of burglaries.
In some houses, the suspected robbers attacked occupants.
Residents, led by community leaders in the low-density suburb, have formed a neighbourhood watch group and police have also increased night patrols.
The suspects, Wellington Ndoro (36) attached to the Criminal Investigations Department at ZRP Nkulumane and Felias Mvula (54) of Mzilikazi in Bulawayo, appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Mr Gift Manyika facing attempted robbery charges.
They were remanded in custody to December 29.
Prosecuting, Ms Josephine Gurazhira said the accused were arrested after a high-speed chase with police and their four accomplices are still at large.
“On 14 December 2023 at around 10 pm, the accused and four others who are still at large connived to rob the complainant. Acting in common purpose they drove to a house located along Courtney Selous Road in Victoria Falls,” she said.
“Upon arrival, they tried to force open the complainant’s sitting room window. Upon seeing the police reaction team they fled from the scene and got into their getaway car, a Toyota Corolla with South Africa number plates and sped off.”
The gang allegedly travelled in two separate groups last Thursday. Ndoro was driving the vehicle with another suspect who is still at large while Mvula and the other gang members travelled by bus and regrouped in the resort city.
They allegedly proceeded to a house in the low-density suburb where they scaled the precast wall.
Alert occupants heard the noise and alerted the neighbourhood watch and police patrol teams who reacted swiftly and burst the gang before it entered the house.
The suspects fled from the scene and scaled the wall again before running in different directions. Ndoro who had remained in the getaway car, drove off at high with one other accomplice with police hot in pursuit. Seeing that the police were closing in on them, the suspects stopped the car and fled on foot in different directions.
Ndoro was later arrested hiding in a yard while Mvula was arrested hiding in a storm drain.
Upon arrest, it was established that Ndoro was a member of the police in the CID department in Nkulumane who was recently transferred from Gwanda.
Police also recovered stolen cellphones and cable tiers.
Online Reporter