Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FIVE armed robbers who pounced on Fawcett Security Company in Chipinge, and made good their escape with US$111 000 and R1 281 320 after being provided with inside information by an employee of the security company, were arrested barely two days after the heist.
Although police could not readily confirm the arrest, as acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, referred all question to the national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who was not reachable for the greater part of this week, this publication gathered that the arrests were made after a tip-off that a Fawcett Security Company employee had provided key information on the operations of the company.
The Manica Post established that detectives from CID Homicide Department in Harare last Friday received a tip-off that Norest Masikira (43) of Gaza A in Chipinge, who is a Fawcett Security employee, was involved in the robbery.
They teamed up with their counterparts in Chipinge, and arrested Masikira who implicated Takesure Simango (40) of Usanga, and Givemore Makoto (40) of Medium Density, who are both unemployed.
Makoto and Simango also implicated Tendai Mupatsi (25) of Gaza, and his brother, Lovejoy Mupatsi (38) of Medium Density.
Their arrests led to the recovery of R98 000 and US$850 from Lovejoy Mupatsi’s car.
He allegedly indicated that it was his share from the robbery.
Masikira, Simango and Makoto were searched, but nothing was recovered from them.
However, this publication also understands that Masikira admitted supplying confidential information on Fawcett Security Company’s Chipinge vault to Simango and Makoto.
“The two also admitted sharing the information with the Mupatsi brothers. Tendai Mupatsi admitted robbing the security company in the company of the other suspects.
“However, he failed to mention their names, saying he did not personally know them, as they had only approached him with the idea of a heist after coming from South Africa where they claimed to reside.
“The complainants in the case are Mr Dzime Sithole, Mr George Nhamo Simango, Mr Mauka Chigonese, Mr Taurai Tarangwa and Mr Gideon Gurudza (49), all Fawcett Security Company employees,” said a police source.
The Manica Post also understands that more money was recovered, although no official confirmation of the amount could be obtained at the time of going to print.
When the incident happened last Wednesday, two Fawcett Security Company personnel — Mr George Nhamo Sithole and the driver, Mr Dzime Sithole — were on supervisory duties in a blue Fawcett Isuzu vehicle, parked at Farm and City shop in the town centre when the robbers pounced.
Suddenly, two masked individuals, armed with pistols emerged from behind, and ordered the two to disembark from the vehicle, removed their jackets and hats. The two were made to surrender the vehicle keys.
After the two Fawcett personnel complied, the accused allegedly wore their uniforms, and tied their hands, before locking them in the vehicle’s back cash compartment.
It is alleged that the other three accomplices immediately arrived and joined their two counterparts, before driving to the Fawcett Security Company premises in Gaza Township.
Along the way, they allegedly stopped to load unknown items, and proceeded to Fawcett Security Company offices.
Upon arrival at the main gate, they allegedly ordered a security guard, Mr Mauka Chigonese who was on duty to unlock the gate.
After opening the gate, the unknown accused persons manhandled him, and tied him with electric cables.
They proceeded to disarm another security guard, Mr Taurai Tarangwa, who was on roving duties.
They removed his shoelaces, and tied his hands, while forcing him to call Mr Gordon Gurudza, who was monitoring the alarm system to open the office door.
Upon opening the door, Mr Gurudza was ordered to lie facing down. They tied his hands with an electric cable.
The robbers allegedly damaged the alarm control board, exterior light, BVR Computer Camera Saver and two kits.
They allegedly broke into the vault using a grinder, and stole cash from six cash boxes, and stashed the money in a sack which had cow feed.
The robbers allegedly drove off to Moiplass Estate, with the security guards at the back of the vehicle.
They left the back of the vehicle parked against a tree trunk so that the complainant would not get out and abandoned it.
One of the complainants, Mr Sithole later informed Fawcett Chipinge branch manager, Mr Peter Kabaira about the incident, who then filed a report at ZRP Chipinge Urban.
They attended the scene together with Chipinge police details.
