A truck driver allegedly stole 36 tons of copper worth more than US$300,000 from a truck he was driving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Mozambique before dumping the vehicle in Machiki.
Francis Chibuka, a Zambian, disappeared at the same time as the shipment belonging to his employer, City Frontiers Transport, based in Lusaka, Zambia.
A reward has been offered for anyone who provides information leading to his arrest.
The police said in a statement yesterday that they were searching for Chibuka.
“On 30 March 2024, the suspect, employed by City Frontiers Transport, was charged with transporting 36 tons of copper from Lusaka, Zambia to Beira, Mozambique using the Howo Sinotruk super truck registration number BCF 7479zm, white colour., towing two trailers with registration number BCF 9285zm and BCF 9286zm.
“The truck is equipped with a tracking system monitored from Zambia. According to the tracker, the truck left the Chirundu border post at 10.30am and arrived in Marondera at approximately 21.45pm and stopped at Knorrs Petroleum Marondera, along the Harare-Mutare highway overnight. : “It departed on 31 March 2024 at approximately 5am, heading east along the Harare-Mutare Expressway, and was dumped in the Machiki central business district at approximately 7.45am.”
The matter was reported at Macheke Police Station on April 2.
Police attended the scene and discovered that the truck was parked in Mashiki opposite Vigono supermarket and bottle shop.
They also discovered that the tarpaulin had been removed while the trailers were being loaded with empty wooden boxes usually used to carry bananas. The shipment documents were left in the truck.
Police investigations revealed that the truck was parked in Mashiki on March 31 at around 7.45am by a thin black man who was wearing a bluish shirt and black pants with reflectors.
Police were also able to visit Knorr filling station in Marondera where the truck was allegedly parked before it was transported to Machiki.
Investigations are underway to determine whether the truck entered Zimbabwe with copper or whether this load was already replaced with wooden boxes before arriving at the Chirundu border post. Announce
