By Fanuel Chinowaita
PENHALONGA, 8 May 2026 – Barely two weeks after a massive joint security operation forced Chinese miners to abandon thirteen excavators in the bush, police in Penhalonga have arrested another illegal alluvial gold miner who was caught pants down operating heavy machinery along the Mutare River.
The arrest occurred on the night of 6 May 2026, when ZRP Penhalonga received a tip-off that an excavator was actively mining in the riverbed at Old Mutare. A reaction team was swiftly dispatched and arrived at the scene around 9pm to discover a yellow excavator engaged in illegal gold mining.
Acting Manicaland Provincial Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the arrest and warned that law enforcement would not relax its grip on riverbed mining syndicates.
“Less than a month after a large-scale operation that recovered thirteen excavators in the Penhalonga area, our officers have moved in again and caught another suspect red-handed. This should send a clear message that illegal mining will not be tolerated and those who continue to defy the law will be brought to book,” Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said.
The operator, identified as Cephas Juchure (47), of Zviyambe Village under Chief Ruzane, Wedza, was arrested at the scene. He is currently detained at ZRP Penhalonga while investigations continue.
The recovered yellow excavator has been secured at the scene under police guard.
Police say investigations are underway to determine whether Juchure is linked to any broader illegal mining syndicates still active in the Mutare River basin.