Police bust Byo copper cable syndicate, arrest 4 o...

Police bust Byo copper cable syndicate, arrest 4 over possession of 5 tonnes of cables

**The suspects who were arrested with 5 tonnes of copper cables in Mahatshula suburb, Bulawayo**

Zim Now Writer

A four-member Bulawayo syndicate has been arrested for illegal possession of five tonnes of copper cables.

According to police in Bulawayo, the syndicate had stashed the copper cables at a house In Mahatshula suburb, with the suspects believed to be responsible for a series of copper cable thefts in the city, prompting a CID Homicide team to conduct a two-week surveillance, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

Among those arrested are a married couple, Tapfumaneyi Muzarabani and Tracy Ncube, together with their alleged accomplices, Alan Mudjiwa and Hebron Chiyangwa.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube, said that the city has been under siege from copper cable thieves, adding that the public played a pivotal role in informing the police, which led to an investigation into the surge.

“Bulawayo province have been battling a scourge of theft of copper cables and that led us to engaging CID Homicide in apprehending these suspects. Detectives from CID received information from members of the public, leading to a raid at a house in Mahatshula suburb. They were found with more than 5 tonnes of copper cables in two separate rooms,” Insp Ncube said.

“The owner of the house is a 64-year-old man who stays elsewhere and is unaware that his house was being used as a storage facility for stolen copper cables. We want to appreciate members of the public for having trust in ZRP Bulawayo and we want to appreciate the police themselves, especially CID Homicide in this case, who worked with dedication, diligence and motivation in the follow up of this case,” said Insp Ncube.

He also noted that the couple that resides at the house were involved in the concealment of the cables.