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Crime Reporter

Police in Kadoma have arrested four suspects believed to have been part of 30 illegal miners who raided Muzvezve mine while armed with machetes before they lit up a vehicle and damaged two others after they ran amok last Friday.

The four are Garnet Ndebele (31), Sunboy Moyo (23), Simbarashe Gweshe (20) and Tavaziva Kufambira (44).

They were arrested for cases of malicious damage to property.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.

“The suspects who were part of a group of about 30 illegal miners invaded the mining area while armed with machetes, axes and knobkerries and spears.

“They attacked the security guards at the mining site and torched a Nissan Caravan vehicle (AEE 8999), a Mossberg rifle and various cellphones which were in the vehicle before damaging a Honda Airwave vehicle and an excavator,” he said.

Investigations carried out by the police then led to the arrest of the suspects.

Meanwhile, police are investigating circumstances surrounding the death of a 32-year-old man who died in a disused mine shaft at Durban mine in Nkayi last week.

It is alleged that the victim together with two others went to the mine to extract gold ore.

The victim was lowered into the mine shaft where he is believed to have suffocated due to carbon gases.

“The body was retrieved from the shaft and had blood coming out from the mouth and it was taken to Inyathi Hospital mortuary for post mortem,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

Police in Mazowe have also arrested 17 suspects for violating Covid-19 regulations and for prospecting for gold without licences in Bigy Bigy area.

Five generators, three electrical jackhammers, a pressure jackhammer, two motor box heads, eight shovels, two air blowers, four picks, 20 litres of diesel and a 36m rope were recovered at the site.

In a related incident, police in Chinhoyi recovered abandoned mining equipment at Mwendo Mining Syndicate last Wednesday.

The equipment which includes eight hammer mill engines, a water pump, welding machine and electric motors were recovered during a police raid after the owners fled the mining site.