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Crime Reporter

An AK 47 assault rifle with a magazine of 30 rounds and 19 automatic machine gun rounds of ammunition have been discovered hidden in a disused well at a primary school in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South province.

Police also discovered other unspecified rounds of ammunition about 300 metres from Lydeard Primary School, when some employees were cleaning the disused well.

Investigations on the case have been opened.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the discovery of the weapon and the ammunition.

“On April 3, 2022, police in Mangwe recovered an AK47 rifle, a magazine with 30 rounds, 19 automatic machine gun rounds and other unspecified ammunition which were hidden in an unused well near Lydeard Primary School. Investigations are underway,” he said.

Although the details were still sketchy, the gun is believed to have been used in committing armed robbery cases in and around the area.

In January, police requested the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) to assist in investigating the case in which 507 rounds of ammunition of a PKM machine gun were unearthed in a rusty box by a farmer who was working in his field in Magunje area.

The PKM is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mm rimmed cartridge.

Designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia, the original PK machine gun was introduced in 1961 and the improved PKM variant was introduced in 1969.

The PKM was designed to replace the SGM and RP-46 machine guns that were previously in Soviet service.

The weapon remains in use as front-line infantry and vehicle-mounted weapons with Russia’s armed forces and has also been exported extensively and produced in several other countries under license.

The arms of war were found at Karenga Village, Chief Dendera, Hurungwe by a farmer aged 42 who was working on his field with an ox-drawn plough.

About 507 rounds of a PKM machine gun were unearthed in a rusty box measuring about 30x25x15 cm in size.

The ammunition was taken to ZNA 23 Combat Group in Magunje for further investigations.