The head of the Economic and Financial Crimes at the police
headquarters, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Samson Kasala, told
the Daily News yesterday that a special police task force had since
been deployed to Tabora to strengthen the manhunt. He added that while
the investigation was underway, police have also sought urgent
assistance from the International Police (INTERPOL) to help mark the
borders of the neighbouring countries to ensure the gang did not get an
easy get-away route.
We have a special arrangement with Interpol during such incidents so
we have asked them to join our forces especially at common borders with
Kenya and Uganda through which the robbers could easily escape, he
said. He added that the police had not precisely established the number
of robbers that invaded the mine, but promised more details could be
availed soon.
DCP Kasala said the local community should immediately report to the
police or nearby authorities any suspect people selling gold. Earlier,
the Tabora Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police
(ACP) Emson Mmari, told the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)
that the police detectives were zeroing on the suspected robbers,
saying it was just a matter of time.'
However, ACP Mmari said he was convinced the robbers were Tanzanians
who were well conversant with the mine site. He said robbers stormed in
and loaded about 131.487 kilogrammes of gold and vanished from the area
using one vehicle which is also suspected to have been carjacked from
its original owner – but couldn't' specify where the carjacking
incident took place.
They (robbers) were better armed than the security guards at the mine
four of them were seriously wounded during an exchange of fire with
the robbers, he said. The gang had one sub-machine gun (SMG), one
shotgun and a pistol, he added. On Wednesday, Resolute (T) Ltd
management announced the incident to the Australian Stock Exchange but
said it had nothing to lose as the loss had an insurance cover. But the
company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Peter Sullivan, promised to
review the company's security procedures.
It is the first time gold has been stolen here every one is in a bit
of shock it's not something that happens very often, he said in a
statement. According to available records, this is the second theft
incident of gold since doors opened to foreign investors in the mining
sector. In December 2007, five people were sentenced 30 years each in
Mwanza for stealing crude gold worth 1.6bn/- belonging to the Geita
Gold Mines in 2005.
Daily News
Post published in: Economy