Zvikomborero Parafini
A FIVE-MEMBER gang has been dragged to court after being implicated in a car robbery that occurred in South Africa last month.
The suspects John Leseja Mkonto, Sibusiso Mpofu, Nwabi Maqhawe, Raymond Tshabalala, Polani Nhliziyo who are from Bulawayo but based in Johannesburg, appeared before magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa yesterday and were remanded in custody to September 16.
They were advised to apply for bail in the High Court as they are facing a third schedule offence.
The court heard that on August 28, the gang allegedly stole a white Toyota Land Cruiser, with registration number KLM388NW, chassis number TW1BV713204900122, engine number 1VD0299693 in Pretoria South Africa.
It is alleged that to conceal the true identity of the stolen car, they fraudulently manufactured a fake South African Registration book as well as a fake Temporary Import Permit [TIP] in the name of Mkonto.
On September 2, Mkonto accompanied by his alleged accomplices, drove the vehicle and smuggled it into Zimbabwe intending to proceed with it to Harare.
While in Zimbabwe as they approached a Police Road block at ZRP Featherstone, they were intercepted by the Police Officers manning the roadblock who inspected the motor vehicle.
Mkonto, who was the driver, was requested to produce documents pertaining to the car and he produced the fake documents.
The vigilant police officer discovered that the documents did not tally with the particulars on the car.
The discrepancies were that the car was affixed with registration number
KLM389NW but the motor vehicle license disc had a different registration number KLM388NW.
Furthermore, the car registration book bore registration number KLM388NW and it reflected that the motor vehicle was a Toyota Hilux.
A scrutiny of the Temporal Import Permit [TIP] serialised PV38719 revealed that the registration number was for a Toyota Hilux.
The police promptly arrested the gang and impounded the motor vehicle.
Later on, detectives from the Vehicle Theft Squad took over investigations and established that the car had been reported stolen at Interpol Pretoria.
Anesu Chirenje prosecuted. @H-Metro
