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Crime Reporter
One of the country’s serial armed robber and former Masvingo Central police officer Rudolf Kanhanga alias Tapiwa Munatsi (29) who exchanged gunfire with a police crack team in an attempt to evade arrest with his other accomplices in Beitbridge last year has applied for bail pending trial at the High Court.

The robbers, along with Musa Taj-Abul, were later arrested in dramatic fashion with dog teams playing a leading role. Other accomplices were Beitbridge-based police officer Tapiwa Mangoma alias Tapa (27), Liberty Mupamhanga (29), Prince Makodza (31), Godfrey Mupamhanga (27) and Charles Lundu (47) all of Harare.

The gang is linked to a number of armed robberies, including the famous Mashwede case in Harare. Police swooped on the seven suspected robbers and their police officer host in the Mashavire area, now known as Tshitaudze suburbs in Beitbridge.

However, High Court Judge, Justice Webster Chinamhora is expected to make a ruling this afternoon on Kanhanga’s bail pending trial application.

Last year, 12 suspected armed robbers, including two ex-policemen who were released on bail pending appeal at the High Court, were on the police’s most wanted list for committing a spate of robberies in and around Harare and skipping bail.

A manhunt for the 12, and other wanted suspects, was then launched. Some of them were arrested while others are still on the run
Some were believed to have skipped the country to evade arrest since March last year.