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A Gang of men who perpetrated several armed robberies targeting mines and companies have just got what they deserved, a staggering 744 years in jail.

Twelve armed robbers, six of them from Bulawayo were linked to a 14-member gang whose reign of terror came to a welcome end two years ago.  An arsenal of weapons — including an AK-47 assault rifle, pistol, and other crude arms such as axes, iron bars and spikes — was recovered from them.

The court sent them away for 62 years each, as we report on our front page today.

Tinashe Chikara (49), Charles Nyandoro (53), Simbarashe Tavengwa (37), Khumbulani Ncube (35), Mgcini Ramachela (33) and Takafa Vumbunu (33) were from Bulawayo.

The others are Ngonidzashe Mutiba (36), Titus Chatukuta (35), Ray Shangari (35), Tinashe Matinyenya (28), Wilson Kaneta (33) and Rodwell Mutunya (34).

They were convicted of eight counts of armed robbery and contravening the Firearms and Explosives Act by Harare regional magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya.

Two of the suspects, Doubty Mharadze (39) and Happymore Muchenje (23) — accused of setting up some of their victims for the terror gang — were acquitted after the State failed to prove a prima facie case against them.

Mr Mujaya suspended 10 years for Mutiba, Chatukuta, Shangari, Kaneta, Ramachela, Ncube and Vumbunu, who were considered first offenders.

Tavengwa, who had two previous convictions, had his four-year previous suspended jail term brought into effect and will now serve 66 years, while Chikara, a former senior police officer, had eight years suspended from his sentence.

In one of their crimes, prosecutor Mr Michael Reza said the men raided Ayrshire Mine in Banket on August 4, 2015, and waylaid two security vehicles transporting about 6,5kg of gold from the mine to Fidelity Printers in Harare.

The gang proceeded to the mine in four different cars without registration plates.

The court heard that at the time, the gang was armed with six pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle, axes, iron bars and two sets of spikes as they prepared to attack the Safeguard Security company cash-in-transit vehicles. There was a serious exchange of gunfire between the criminals and the guards but happily, the latter forced the former to retreat.

The cases involving the 12 highlight a worrying trend that has seen many people getting more brazen in their criminal activities. They see no problem committing murder, maiming and so on as long as they grab what they want. As such the country has experienced a growing number of armed robberies in which high value property is lost, limbs broken and lives lost.

Also today, we carry a story on three masked people who raided a house in Cowdray Park in Bulawayo and went away with more than $7 000.

We are deeply saddened by these crimes, asking ourselves why this is so, at the same time fearful of the safety of the law abiding majority whose concern is only to work diligently for their families.

But when dangerous criminals such as the 12 are accounted for, we take some comfort. We applaud our law enforcement agents for working to be a step ahead of the gangsters. They don’t belong out here where the civilised live, but behind bars where they must be held for the rest of their lives.

Sixty two years for Chikara, for example, is a tough and long enough sentence that will keep him in jail until he is 111 years old, if he lives that long of course.  It is as good as life imprisonment which, to us, is a deserved punishment for a heinous criminal.

But there are a number of cases that remain unresolved in some parts of the country. We urge the police to intensify their investigations to catch the bandits so that they can appear in court and receive their punishment.

We acknowledge that many criminal syndicates have been busted through community participation when individuals with information tip police off.  In saying this we are challenging ordinary people who are not law enforcement agents to help the police in tracking down the dangerous criminals for law abiding citizens to live happily with a high level of security.