THREE alleged illegal diamond dealers appeared before Mutare magistrate Sekai Chiundura last Friday after they were found in possession of gems worth over $20 000.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
The trio of Augustine Mwashita (29), Richmore Machena (30) and Mapa Shaw (35) were granted $250 bail each and remanded to July 23.
It is the State case that sometime in May this year, police detectives from the Minerals and Border Control Unit Task Force received a tip-off that the syndicate was operating in Mutare.
One detective was then assigned to act as an agent and an arrangement was then made for the syndicate to come to meet a foreign buyer in the capital, Harare.
One of the suspects, Mwashita, went to Harare in the presence of his sisters Lora and Chido Mwashita where they met the agent. The buyer was later told that the diamonds were in Mutare.
Police later set up a trap at a city lodge where the suspects met their “buyers” and fished out 10 pieces of diamonds from their mouths after being enticed with over $5 000 trap money.
The suspects were immediately arrested, leading to the recovery of the trap money and 20,51 carats worth $20 802. Shepherd Chivarika prosecuted.
