Police Officer Was Harbouring Armed Robber Musa Taj Abdul
A Beitbridge police officer, Tapiwa Mangoma was harbouring Zimbabwe’s most wanted armed robber Musa Taj Abdul commonly known as Salim Rahman.
Musa Taj Abdul had been evading police for two decades before his dramatic arrest on Monday night in the border town.
Abdul was arrested along with former Masvingo Central police officer Rudolf Kanhanga alias Tapiwa Munatsi (29), Beitbridge-based police officer Tapiwa Mangoma alias Tapa (27), Liberty Mupamhanga (29), Prince Makodza (31), Godfrey Mupamhanga (27), Charles Lundu (47), and Innocent Jairos (32), all of Harare.
Police swooped on the seven suspected robbers and their police officer host in the Mashavire area, now known as Tshitaudze suburbs.
They were caught unawares by a team of detectives, duty uniform police, Support Unit and the canine unit.
A police source close to the case told The Herald that dogs had to be used to help arrest the suspects and police were forced to fire warning shots.
The source also revealed that Abdul, Mupamhanga, Makodza, Lundu and Munatsi incurred some injuries from dog bites during a tussle with the police.
They were taken to Beitbridge District Hospital for treatment and their condition is reported to be stable.
Police officer commanding Beitbridge, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, yesterday confirmed the arrest but referred further questions to national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Asst Comm Nyathi confirmed the arrests and said investigations were still in progress.
A statement released by Beitbridge police said the suspects had arrived in Beitbridge at the invitation of their point man, Mangoma, a police officer in the border town.
Police say the gang which was using a silver BMW was intending to rob a house in the Mashavire area but were stopped before hitting the target when police detectives received a tip-off.
A silver Noringo pistol with an obliterated serial number and a magazine with 11 live rounds, 19×12 bore gauge live rounds in a webbing belt placed in a black satchel stashed in a washing basket, and a pair of number plates AEX 1577 were recovered from the suspects.
In addition, a black face mask (balaclava) was found stashed in their getaway car.
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