A reward is announced by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) which it will offer to anyone who will provide with the information, leading to his arrest.
Reportedly, the reward follows the incident in which a truck driver has allegedly stole thirty-six tonnes of copper which is worth more than US $300,000 from a truck that he was driving from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Mozambique before dumping the vehicle in Macheke.
As per the reports, Francis Chipoka, a Zambian has disappeared at the same time as the consignment belongs to his employer, the City Frontiers Transport that is based in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has submitted a statement while looking for Chipoka on Monday, April 08, 2024.
ZRP stated that On March 30, 2024, the suspect was generally employed by the City Frontiers Transport and was tasked to transport 36 tonnes of copper from Lusaka. Then from Zambia to Beira, then Mozambique by using a Howo Sinotruk super-link truck registration number BCF 7479zm.
According to the reports, the truck was of white colour that towed two trailers with registration number BCF 9285zm and BCF 9286zm.
The ZRP Police also said that the truck was installed with a tracking system which was monitored from Zambia. And according to the installed tracker, the truck left Chirundu border post around 10:30 a.m. and has arrived in Marondera around 9:45 p.m. and parked at Knors Petroleum Marondera, which is locate along the Harare-Mutare highway, for a night.
After that, the truck left on March 31, 2024 around 5:00 a.m. and headed towards the east along Harare-Mutare highway and it was dumped in the central business district at Macheke around 7:45 a.m., as per the reports by the assigned cops.
The actual matter was then reported at the Macheke Police Station on April 02, 2024. The police then attended the scene and discovered that the truck was parked in Macheke opposite to Vegono Supermarket and a bottle store.
The police have also discovered that the tarpaulin was removed while the trailers were loaded with the empty wooden boxes that are normally used to carry bananas. However, the consignment documents were left in the truck.
The police have also conducted an official inquiry and revealed that the truck was parked in Macheke on March 31, 2024 around 7:45 a.m. by a slim dark man who was wearing blue t-shirt and black trousers with the reflectors.
The cops however then managed to visit Knor Filling station in Marondera where the truck was allegedly parked before the leaving for Macheke.
The investigation is still ongoing to establish whether the truck had entered Zimbabwe with the coper or whether this load was already replaced by the wooden boxes before reaching to Chirundu border post.