KWEKWE — Police in Kwekwe on Monday arrested three family members who allegedly kidnapped a local businessman’s four-year-old daughter last week and released her two days later after the girl’s parents had paid them a $40 000 ransom.
By Blessed Mhlanga
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident which happened during a United Family International Church service in Kwekwe on September 8 this year.
“I can confirm that police arrested the kidnappers, but I will have to get all the details from Kwekwe police. So you can get in touch with me later,” Mahoko said.
A source in the Criminal Investigations Department said the suspects — Andrew Musarurwa (23), Donny (17) and Rumbidzai Chimimba (20) — from Mbizo suburb were arrested on Monday during a police raid at their hideout in Bulawayo. The trio is expected to appear in court soon. The kidnapped girl is a daughter of Kwekwe businessman Eden Muguti. The source said following interrogation, the gang revealed that they had hatched the plan after watching a movie involving kidnapers who got rich.
It is alleged that after kidnapping the minor, Musarurwa, who is married to Rumbidzai, took the girl to their house in Gokwe from where they later contacted Muguti demanding $40 000 ransom.
The Muguti family, following orders not to alert the police, then arranged to drop off the money along the Kwekwe-Mvuma Road on September 10. The girl’s mother Wonai dropped the ransom at the agreed point after which Rumbidzai picked the money, counted it and later dumped the girl at a fast food outlet in Kwekwe.
A top police detective who declined to be named said the suspects were arrested after they went on a spending spree, buying expensive household furniture and cars including a BMW and a Nissan Caravan within a short space of time.
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Police said one of the suspects, Donny, was shot and injured in the leg after he allegedly attempted to flee from the scene. He has since been admitted at Kwekwe General Hospital where he is being treated under police guard.
“We recovered the household property which was bought using the loot and $10 000 in cash because the other $30 000 had already been spent in just three days,” said the police source.
