The ManicaPost
Lovemore Kadzura Rusape Correspondent
A HARARE man aboard Inter Africa bus and the bus-crew were on Wednesday arrested in Rusape after a routine search at a police roadblock identified an assortment of goods suspected to have been donated to Clyclone Idai victims in Chimanimani.
Another suspect was also arrested at the search point on suspicion of smuggling goods after failing to produce relevant documents upon request by the law enforcement agents.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa was tight lipped over the haul, as he could neither deny nor confirm it, saying he had not received the report from Rusape.
However, The Manica Post has it on good authority that the bus was intercepted at Rusape tollgate.
“I am yet to receive the details about the incident you are referring to. I will get back to you once I have been furnished with that information. You might have seen the suspects at Rusape police station as you claim, but I do not have the details on me now,” said Insp Kakohwa.
Police sources close to the investigations said that Edward Dhumukwa (32) has been arrested on allegations of theft while Mark Huruva (45) the bus driver and Ityamari Watadza (25), the conductor were arrested for using the bus to ferry stolen and smuggled goods.
The smuggling suspect could not be identified at the time of going to print.
The four suspects were arrested after an anonymous person alerted police that an Inter Africa bus from Chimanimani headed for Harare had two people with looted and smuggled goods.
“The loot includes blankets, groceries and clothing, among others. The bus picked Dhumuka at Joppa after flagging it to stop. When the bus stopped, a kombi suddenly appeared from nowhere and it parked next to the bus. Dhumukwa had a small chat with the bus-crew after which they offloaded the goods suspected to have been donated to Cyclone Idai victims from the Kombi into the boot of the bus. People got suspicious about the origins of such a huge consignment of goods and alerted police, who then intercepted the bus at the Rusape tollgate. The bus was impounded by police and taken to ZRP Rusape Urban where all the luggage was offloaded and searched, and goods donated to Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani were positively identified, leading to the arrest of Dhumukwa and the bus crew,” revealed the police source who refused to be named citing protocol.
The culprits are expected to appear at Rusape Magistrates’ Court today (Friday) for initial remand.—
