Brian Rungano Temba
Mount Pleasant residents have made a report to Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) pertaining to a lengthy power outage caused by armed copper wire thieves who were found cutting down electrical supply cables in the Northern suburb.
When the police responded to the report the band of thieves had already vacated the area.
The police at Marlborough Police station have confirmed that this particular gang of copper thieves has been targeting northern suburbs without neighbourhood watch, but have now resorted to more violent means since communities in the low-density areas have been enlisting the aid of constables for security after sunset lately.
Constable Batsirai Chibondo said that the neighbourhood watch was alerted at 01:35 am of Friday April 2, 2021 that cables were being stolen on Northwood Rise street.
“When we responded we found two guards tied up at the boom gate on Tunsgate road.
“The thieves must have been disturbed by the residents because one section of the copper wire was found lying on the ground,” said Constable Chibondo.
A response team drove in pursuit of the cables thieves but failed to apprehend them since they had disappeared into the dark.
According to the two guards that were bound and left at the Tunsgate boom, the gang comprised of four armed men.
The gang was spotted later after a power outage was reported on Chatsworth and Pendennis road.
“We went down Waller avenue and found cables stolen there as well.
At that same time we were alerted by other neighbourhood watch guards of a suspicious silver Toyota RunX which drove off at high speed before we could get to the scene they had spotted it,” said Constable Chibondo.
Constable Chibondo said on two occasions, the same band has hit Mount Pleasant. Investigations are still ongoing and Neighbourhood watch constables are being advised to exercise caution when encountering these copper bandits.
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