{"id":2423,"date":"2026-07-03T06:27:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/?p=2423"},"modified":"2026-07-03T06:41:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:41:46","slug":"six-arrested-over-armed-robberies-targeting-econet-booster-sites-in-manicaland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/2026\/07\/03\/six-arrested-over-armed-robberies-targeting-econet-booster-sites-in-manicaland\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Arrested Over Armed Robberies Targeting Econet Booster Sites in Manicaland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Fanuel Chinowait<\/strong>a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
ZRP Manicaland Acting Provincial Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RUSAPE<\/strong> \u2013 Police in Manicaland have arrested six suspects linked to a series of violent armed robberies targeting Econet booster sites in Rusape and Nyanga, where security guards employed by Suburban Security Company<\/strong> were assaulted, tied up and robbed while protecting telecommunications infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspects allegedly targeted Econet booster stations between June 12 and June 23, 2026, making away with large quantities of diesel, cash, a cellphone and a battery after overpowering security guards deployed by Suburban Security Company<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The arrested suspects are Benjamin Ben (39), Francis Boniyari (29), Joseph Boniyari (37), Tichaona Macheka (35), Innocent Simbarashe Magaba (20) and Mike Chitsike (28).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview, ZRP Manicaland Acting Provincial Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka<\/strong> confirmed the arrests, saying detectives had dismantled a gang suspected of carrying out a series of armed robberies targeting Econet telecommunications sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Police have arrested six suspects in connection with a series of armed robberies committed at Econet booster sites in Rusape and Nyanga districts. The suspects allegedly attacked security guards while armed with machetes, iron bars, catapults and other weapons before stealing diesel and other valuables,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Police said all the complainants were security guards employed by Suburban Security Company<\/strong>, which provides security services at Econet booster stations across the affected districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first robbery occurred at the St Killians booster site on June 12, where a lone security guard was allegedly assaulted, tied up and robbed of about 360 litres of diesel and a Nokia C10 cellphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 16, two Suburban Security Company<\/strong> guards on duty at the Nyazura booster site were attacked by the gang. One of the guards sustained injuries after being struck with a stone fired from a catapult and hit with an iron bar while attempting to escape. The suspects allegedly stole US$180 before siphoning about 350 litres of diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gang allegedly struck again on June 21 at the Christe Mambo booster site, where another Suburban Security Company<\/strong> guard was tied up before approximately 240 litres of diesel was stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police said similar robberies were committed at Gwiriri Mountain in Honde Valley, where about 200 litres of diesel was stolen, and at Regina Business Centre in Nyamaropa, where approximately 140 litres of diesel and a 12-volt Willard battery were taken after another Suburban Security Company<\/strong> guard was threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said investigators made a breakthrough after analysing cellphone records linked to the first suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Detectives received information that the first suspect had used an EcoCash line to purchase airtime. Through cellphone triangulation conducted with the assistance of Econet, investigators established movements linking the suspect to several booster sites. He was arrested in Vengere on June 24 and implicated his accomplices during investigations,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Police recovered a white Toyota Probox allegedly used during the robberies together with two empty drums, a three-metre hosepipe, a large hammer, an iron bar, a machete, an axe, three catapults and a rope believed to have been used during the commission of the offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further investigations resulted in the recovery of 1,425 litres of diesel<\/strong> from three alleged buyers in Vengere and Rusape, as well as a stolen 12-volt Willard battery taken during the Nyamaropa robbery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police said the total value of the stolen property is US$4,351<\/strong>, while property worth US$2,751<\/strong> has so far been recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Investigations are continuing, and efforts are underway to recover the outstanding stolen property. The accused persons are expected to appear before the courts while investigations continue,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Police also urged members of the public to refrain from buying fuel or other goods from suspicious sources, warning that those found in possession of stolen property risk criminal prosecution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fanuel Chinowaita RUSAPE \u2013 Police in Manicaland have arrested six suspects linked to a series of violent armed robberies targeting Econet booster sites in Rusape and Nyanga, where security guards employed by Suburban Security Company were assaulted, tied up and robbed while protecting telecommunications infrastructure. The suspects allegedly targeted Econet booster stations between June…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2423"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2425,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423\/revisions\/2425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}