A SENIOR police officer assigned to an operation meant to curb the activities of machete wielding gangs has been caught and arrested while transporting two sacksfuls of gold ore from Mazoe to Harare.
The top cop was identified as Chief Inspector B. Ncube of Yankee Troop, Support Unit, Harare.
According to a police internal memo, Ncube was assigned on Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/Isitsheketsha Kasipheleand/No to Machete Wielding Gangs when he was caught pants down.
He was arrested at Esbank Tollgate after attempting to use the premise’s security road bypassing paying toll fees.
Ncube was arrested Saturday alongside Plan Rangisi who was driving him and Trust Chipatarongo of Chitungwiza.
A criminal docket has since been opened at Malborough Police Station under RRB Number 4605985.
“On 12 December 2020 at around 0600 hours, Number 049466R Chief Inspector Ncube B. of Yankee Troop who is deployed on Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/Isitsheketsha Kasiphele and No to Machete Wielding Gangs in Jumbo Mine, Mazowe was arrested for Criminal abuse of office as a public officer as defined in Section 174 of the Criminal Law [Codification and Reform] Act Chapter 9:23 and Transporting gold ore without a licence,” reads the report addressed to ZRP’s its Chief Staff Officer, Operations.
“Circumstances are that, Chief Inspector Ncube B who was in civilian attire and armed with a Tokarev Pistol serial number ZRP 190 with a magazine of seven rounds was travelling along Bindura – Harare Road in a Honda Fit vehicle registration number AFG 0053 being driven by Plan Rangisi National Registration Number 15-102429-H-15, a male aged 46 years of Jumbo Mine, Mazowe, Trust Chipatarongo National Registration Number 34-097149 S-34, a male aged 33 years of House Number 9009 Manyame Park, Chitungwiza was also aboard the same vehicle.
“On approaching Eskbank Tollgate, the Honda Fit vehicle was following behind a Toyota Fortuner vehicle registration number ADY 1780 being driven by Private Lameck Katikiti, a male aged 29 years of Zimbabwe National Army [ZNA].
“Aboard the Toyota Fortuner was a Zimbabwe National Army Security Patrol Team under the command of Sergeant George Musona of State House Barracks.
Adds the report: “At the tollgate, the Toyota Fortuner bypassed the tollgate and the Honda Fit vehicle followed and this prompted Sergeant George Musona to disembark from the vehicle and inquired from the driver of the Honda Fit vehicle why he was bypassing the tollgate.
“The three suspects’ responses could not satisfy the security patrol team, this led the ZNA members searching the Honda Fit Vehicle and recovered two sacks of suspected gold ore and subsequently arrested the three occupants; Chief Inspector Ncube B. included.
“Sergeant Musona then advised Brigadier General Mhonda who instructed him to take the accused persons and exhibits to Marlborough Police Station. Plan Ranjisi, the driver of the Honda fit alleged that he was hired by Chief Inspector Ncube and Trust Chapatarongo to transport them with their gold ore from Jumbo to Harare.”
The accused were taken to Marlborough Police Station by the ZNA patrol team and are currently detained at CID MFFU Harare.