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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 29-YEAR-OLD man who is believed to be part of a house breaking syndicate that has been terrorising Beitbridge residents has been jailed for nine years in connection with 26 cases of unlawful entry and theft involving property worth about $9,000.

Tarirai Tizirai pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate, Innocent Bepura, but was convicted on the strength of overwhelming evidence against him.

Tizirai was left with an effective seven years to serve after the magistrate set aside two years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecuting, Lloyd Mupfungidza, told the court that Tizirai committed the 26 offences between July 13 and November 4 last year while in the company of an accomplice identified only as Mhuru who is on the run.

The other alleged accomplice, Brilliant Mkosi, who was arrested together with Tizirai had charges against him withdrawn before plea.

Mupfungidza said Tizirai would break into houses, including those owned by police officers, in the low density suburbs using iron bars or duplicate keys.

An assortment of goods including 15 television sets, laptops, cell phones, electricity generators, radios, satellite decoders, clothes, groceries, and money among others were stolen.

Mupfungidza said during their “operation”, the syndicate stole property valued at about $9,000 and items worth about $3,620 were recovered.

He said police investigations intensified when they targeted a house belonging to the officer in charge of criminal investigations in the district on October 29, leading to Tizirai’s arrest.