Police end robber's reign of terror over border ju...

Police end robber's reign of terror over border jumpers and smugglers

Zim Now Writer

A notorious 21-year-old man from Zvishavane, who is believed to have been responsible for a series of armed robberies, terrorising border jumpers and smugglers at an illegal crossing point along the Limpopo River was yesterday arraigned before Beitbridge regional magistrate Innocent Bepura.

Spacious Sibanda of Mutshongovile Suburb, Mussina in South Africa, was arrested on Wednesday last week after targetting five complainants while in the company of his accomplices, who are still at large and believed to be hiding in South Africa, identified only as Tafadzwa, Makavela and Pastor.

Sibanda was not asked to plead to three counts of armed robbery and was remanded in custody to November 16 for trial.

The police recovered one pistol and a pellet pistol from him.

For the State, prosecutor Claudius Karinga said on November 2, a security team patrolling an area near Malindi Transit Shed received a tip-off that Sibanda and his gang were robbing people in the bushy area between Alfred Beit Bridge and the Malindi Transit Shed.

The security team reacted swiftly, the court heard, and found the accused persons about to share the stolen loot.

A chase was made and the team managed to arrest Sibanda, who was found in possession of a Blow P29 9mm PAK black pistol, which was in the right pocket of his blue jean trousers.

The three other gang members fled towards South Africa and dropped a pellet pistol at the scene of crime.

The court further heard that all the complainants were robbed at different intervals and the suspects stole a total of R4 350, 50 by 200mls King whisky, six by 1,2 litres Super Chibuku and nothing was recovered.

Sibanda, he said, was now assisting police with investigations.

Sibanda indicated during interrogation that the team was allegedly working in cahoots with a Beitbridge-based taxi driver who surveys unsuspecting targets and households.

The taxi driver then supplies the information to the suspects for reaction and would carry them from Limpopo River to the targeted places.

The suspects would then reward the taxi driver after hitting their targets.

Most of the stolen property, it is also said, is being kept at a safe house in Mutshongovile Suburb in Mussina where Sibanda stays.