Three copper cables suspects nabbed

 Danisa Masuku

POLICE in Bulawayo swooped on three suspected thieves while they were off-loading copper cables from a truck at a scrap metal company situated in Kelvin North Industrial area.

The three suspects are Levat Sibanda (32), Master Gambe (32) and Papillon Tshonini (43).

A source close to investigations said officers from Criminal Investigations Division (CID) received a tip-off that there was a company that deals with scrap metal which is situated in the Kelvin North Industrial area and a truck had been seen on several occasions off-loading copper cables.

Following that tip-off, on Friday last week and at around 9pm detectives went to the said company and lay in wait.

“A truck came and stopped at the gate of the company. The suspects swiftly threw a sack at the gate and soon after that the detectives pounced on them and searched the sack and found copper cables and after that they arrested the suspects,” said the source.

The source said the copper cables weighed 34kgs with an estimated cost of $512 000.

“Upon quizzing them the suspects revealed that they stole the cables at Gwayi Compound Farm in Matabeleland North province.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube applauded members of the public for supplying police with information that led to the arrest of the three suspects.

“We would like to thank members of the public for supplying information to the police and such a gesture is helpful as it aids in dealing decisively with theft of copper cables.”