HARARE – As many as 30 armed robbers, some wearing camouflage, are believed to have taken part in the robbery of a Chinese-owned mine in Shamva, police said.
A small amount of gold, $7,000 in cash, 50 mobile phones and 2 shotguns were taken in the April 13 raid at the Ming Chang Sino Africa Mine in the Tafuna area of Shamva in Mashonaland Central.
The raid began at around 11.20PM when 13 masked men armed with pistols and baton sticks, 10 of them in military fatigues, approached the mine’s main entrance and subdued two guards.
About 17 other suspects, meanwhile, had jumped over the fence and rounded up just over 50 mine employees who were made to lie down.
“They ordered the workers to lie on the ground while assaulting them and demanding cash and valuables,” a police statement said.
The mine’s general manager Yuehui Du, 45, was force-marched to his office where he handed over five mobile phones and $1,200 cash.
A further $3,200, 20 grams of gold and two mobile phones were taken from the office of the stores manager Jie Bao, 38.
The workers were searched and in total they lost cash amounting to $2,564.
Between the Chinese owners of the mine and the workers, the robbers made off with 50 phones.
The mine’s security guards were also disarmed of two Mossberg shotguns which the robbers took away.
Police are studying CCTV footage for potential clues.
Ming Chang Sino Africa has mining operations in Shamva (Mashonaland Central), Kwekwe (Midlands) and Odzi (Manicaland).
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