By Staff Reporter
A daring gang accused of terrorising network service provider boosters and plunging communities into communication blackouts has been cracked after a dramatic midnight arrest on 20 March 2026, police have confirmed.
Midlands Police Spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said two suspects, Stanely Chifodya (32) and Kudakwashe Mazvidza (26), were arrested in connection with a string of robberies and thefts targeting base stations across Kwekwe and surrounding areas.
The other suspects, Washington Ndlovu, Takudzwa Hwaire, Mutsa Muzwarimwe and Regis (surname not provided) are still at large.
The duo allegedly spearheaded a months-long crime spree between October 2025 and March 2026, during which criminals siphoned a staggering 9,000 litres of diesel and stole generator batteries critical for powering communication infrastructure.
In one chilling incident on 7 December 2025, the gang reportedly stormed a base station armed with a .303 rifle, scaling the perimeter fence before brutally assaulting a security guard.
“They manhandled the guard and threatened him with a firearm before siphoning diesel and stealing a generator battery,” said Inspector Mahoko.
The gang went on a December rampage, striking multiple sites including Mbizo 7 and Mbizo 15, where they siphoned thousands of litres of diesel in coordinated night raids. Security guards were routinely overpowered as the suspects executed their operations with precision.
However, their luck began to run out in February when alert security personnel foiled an attempted theft, forcing the suspects to flee and abandon containers at the scene.
The breakthrough came on 20 March 2026 when alert police officers on patrol in Amaveni noticed a suspicious vehicle parked near a base station.
“Officers observed the suspects actively draining diesel from a generator, leading to the arrest of the two, while accomplices fled into the darkness,” Mahoko said.
Police recovered a .303 rifle, 26 empty 40-litre containers, a container filled with diesel and various tools used to break into secured premises. Further investigations led to the recovery of two stolen batteries and 1,540 litres of diesel.
The suspects are now facing two counts of robbery, eight counts of theft and an additional charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. They have since appeared before the Kwekwe Regional Court and were remanded in custody to 7 April 2026.
Meanwhile, police launched a manhunt for four accomplices still on the run.
Authorities are urging members of the public with information to come forward as investigations continue.
The arrests are expected to bring relief to residents and service providers who have endured repeated network disruptions linked to the thefts.
