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The suspect abandoned his vehicle, a truck that was allegedly stolen at gunpoint in neighbouring Botswana on Tuesday last week, and attempted to flee on foot.
The suspected carjacker was found with a fake driver’s licence, a Zimbabwean identity card and a Zambian passport, made out in different names.
He was arrested by police officers from Figtree Police Station, near Mbonqane turn-off, on Thursday morning along the Bulawayo-Solusi Road.
Police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe on Tuesday confirmed the arrest.
A motorist who witnessed the suspect being arrested said he was stopped at the roadblock.
“Police officers at the roadblock asked for my licence. However, before I could give it to them, a truck with white doors and Botswana licence plates approached. The officers consulted each other and agreed it was the vehicle they were looking for and stopped it,” said the motorist.
He said when the officers spoke to the driver, the man suddenly opened the door and attacked one of them.
“He flew at the officer, knocked him over and landed on his chest. He tried to get up and run but the officer held onto his feet and the officers who seemed ready for the attempted escape closed in and arrested him,” the motorist said.
Contacted for comment, Insp Dzirutwe said Zimbabwean police had received a report from police at Masunga in neighbouring Botswana about a stolen truck.
“We got the report on Thursday at about 5 am. They said the vehicle was a purple Isuzu RTF8 truck with white doors, which was suspected to have been taken into Zimbabwe. We strategically set up roadblocks to catch the suspect(s),” said Insp Dzirutwe.
He said the truck was spotted and stopped at one of the roadblocks.
“When the driver was asked to produce a driver’s licence, he became uncooperative and could not account for the truck that he was driving. He was then arrested,” he said.
Insp Dzirutwe added: “He was found with a fake driver’s licence, a Zimbabwean ID under the name Sharairo Chiza and a Zambian passport bearing the name Gideon Silwenga.”
He said the suspect was being held at Plumtree Police Station while police in Zimbabwe and Botswana conducted joint investigations.
“At the moment, the suspect is being charged with resisting arrest and car theft,” said the police spokesperson.
Although Insp Dzirutwe could not give further details, police sources close to the investigations said the suspect was part of a gang of carjackers who had wreaked havoc in Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique.
Online Reporter