Police in Zimbabwe have arrested four Marange Resources workers on allegations of stealing several pieces of diamonds from the company’s mining plant.
A state prosecutor said that the theft occurred on March 30, 2014 but the exact value of the diamonds was not given.
“The complainant in this theft case is Marange Resources diamond mine represented by Mazhara Tavaziva. On March 31, 2014, Mazhara who is the senior security officer received information of theft of diamonds from the glove box sort house area 300,” a state prosecutor was quoted as saying by the Herald newspaper.
“A review of the CCTV footage the same day showed that on March 30, the previous day, Mzombi and Mucheteni who are sorters at the diamond mine stopped sorting diamonds in the presence of Gavhumende who is a security personnel.
“Mzombi ins erted a latex glove into the glove box and selected some pieces of diamonds and put them in to the latex glove. He tied it.”
Mzombi then put the latex glove which contained the stolen diamonds in the conveyor belt and Mucheteni rushed to the discharge chute to intercept the parcel and later lifted the tailing cage, picked the loot and stashed it in his undergarments.
After watching the CCTV footage, Mazhara alerted the police, leading to the arrest of the accomplices.
Searches were carried out at the accused’s houses, which led to the recovery of $13 000 in cash.
The case goes for trail on April 30.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
