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Rutendo Nyeve, Court Reporter

THREE suspects linked to a gang that got away with How Mine’s 11,9 kilogrammes of gold worth US$ 450 000 and four guns were yesterday brought to court by detectives who were seeking their further detention pending investigations.

Antony Moyo (39), Wilson Mutandwa (24) and Earnest Mutandwa (30) appeared at Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.

Western Commonage Court

Police were granted their application to further detain the suspects and the trio subsequently taken back to Bulawayo Central Police for further investigations.

The trio arrived in court under heavy police guard. Earnest, who was nabbed while trying to flee the country through Beitbridge Border Post, was in leg-irons.  The suspects will today appear in court for initial remand. 

The heist took place on Tuesday during which the three men, together with 10 others who are still at large, pounced on three private security company cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicles which were carrying gold from How Mine. 

The suspects who were travelling in three cars; a Toyota Hilux GD6, a Nissan Hardbody single-cab and a Nissan March, ambushed and blocked the convoy before disarming the security guards and loading the gold into their vehicles.

The CIT vehicles were carrying gold worth US$450 000, which was destined for Fidelity Printers. The mine is about 22 km from Bulawayo.

On Tuesday, police officers received information that some of the stolen items were abandoned at a house under construction along Folly Road, West Somerton in Bulawayo.

Detectives reacted to the report and recovered, car keys, 3 x 9mm spent cartridges, a black glove, a 303-rifle loaded with eight live rounds and three empty metal boxes. 

Money – Image taken from Pixabay

Police arrested Moyo who implicated both Mutandwas. The vehicle was left riddled with bullets after the shootout.

Further investigations by the police established that the South African registered Nissan NP 300 single cab vehicle, registration number HR3OXJGP, which was abandoned by the suspects at the scene, belongs to Ximba Nkosilathi, also known as Tonderai Vumbunu and was at times seen being driven by Antony Moyo. 

There have been concerns over an increase in armed robberies countrywide. Three weeks ago, armed robbers pounced on CBZ Bank’s Fife Street branch in Bulawayo and got away with US$70 000. Four days later, business came to a standstill in the Bulawayo city centre when police cordoned off streets leading to the Fidelity Building where armed robbers sneaked out with US$6 270 as well as R5 000 from one of the offices in the 12-storey building. -@nyeve14