The officers, Kephas Gapu, 52, and Vimbai Kwenda, 43, allegedly took the gun capable of 22 aimed shots in one minute, from Mkoba Police station where they were both based.
According to a police docket opened after their arrest, the gun belonged to a resident Gibson Dzungu, who had surrendered it to the cops after the expiry date of its licence in July 2006. The matter only came to light when Dzungu visited the station to claim his gun.
After investigations the firearm was recovered at the residence of Gapu who then implicated Kwenda in the crime. It is unclear if the pair had used the rifle in any criminal activity. Gweru magistrate Meo Rubwe granted the two $50 bail each when they appeared before him for remand. The country’s best known gun theft case involving security personnel has been the Pomona barracks heist where 20 AK47 riffles were said to have been stolen.
Post published in: News