On Sunday night, three daring robbers armed to teeth with AK 47 assault rifles stole 650kgs of gold ore from a Penhalonga gold mine in Mutare.
According to The Manica Post, one of the robbers wore a Zimbabwe National Army uniform while the other two were in civilian attire.
The robbery took place at Tsanzaume Mining and Milling Company in Penhalonga, Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed.
According to Inspector Chananda the three armed robbers surprised eight Tsanzaume workers including 35-year-old Allen Nyabeze and told them that they were law enforcement agents investigating a gold heist.
The robbers then told the unsuspecting workers that they were all under arrest for gold theft and ordered them to switch off their mobile phones and sit down.
The workers were then instructed to load thirteen 50kgs of gold ore into an Izusu truck belonging to Allen Nyabeze.
Nyabeze was ordered to drive the Isuzu truck to Penalonga Police Station, a few kilometers from their destination they were intercepted by a group of other robbers in a Toyota Noah (Registration number ADP 6019).
The robbers then diverted Nyabeza to Lead Mine in Penhalonga.
An alert security guard at Lead Mine refused to open the gate for the armed assailants.
The robbers then changed their plan and offloaded the gold ore into the Toyota Noah, and told Nyabeza to return to Tsanzaume mine.
Inspector Chananda confirmed that a report was made at Penhalonga police station at around midnight.
During the course of investigations, detectives discovered that the Toyota Noah that was used in the heist belonged to Weston John Tizora of Kubatana Community Organization in Penhalonga.
Upon arrival at Kubatana Community Organisation, police detectives did not find Tizora, his son told them that he had gone out.
