Mutare is abuzz with news of a daring bust that has seen four individuals, allegedly operating as a syndicate, apprehended for their audacious scheme of defrauding unsuspecting businesspeople and individuals using counterfeit US dollar notes.
The arrest of Moreblessing Musviba (31), Fortune Banda (48), and Tinashe Maravanyika, along with an unidentified fourth accomplice, has unearthed over 20 cases of fraud already filed against the group.
The syndicate’s downfall began with a tip from a local businessman, Mr Arnold Gombakomba, who himself fell victim to their cunning scheme. Gombakomba, after noticing the suspects using counterfeit notes at his bar in Gombakomba, Mutare South, alerted the police, providing them with a crucial lead.
“On September 1, at 6:30am, the complainant, Mr Arnold Gombakomba, supplied information to the police that he had spotted the accused persons who had defrauded him using fake US$ notes at his bar,” a police source revealed.
“Police reacted to the information and went to his bar in Gombakomba. They saw the accused’s vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner with a vehicle registration number AEH 5723 parked at the business centre.”
Police acted swiftly on Gombakomba’s information and tracked the suspects’ vehicle, a silver Toyota Fortuner, as it left the bar. A team of detectives, following closely behind in Gombakomba’s vehicle, pursued the suspects along the Mutare-Chimanimani Highway, eventually catching up with them at Anytime Lodge.
“They parked the vehicle and went into one of the rooms. The complainant, who was in pursuit together with the police also parked at the lodge, and summoned for backup and reaction team from Dangamvura Police Station,” the police source continued.
The police, armed with backup, moved in, arresting Musviba, Banda, and Maravanyika, but the fourth suspect, whose identity remains unknown, managed to slip away into the darkness. The police seized the suspects’ Toyota Fortuner, along with two bags of potatoes, which the suspects admitted to having purchased using a counterfeit US$100 note.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate had been operating with a level of sophistication, manipulating their vehicle’s registration number by replacing letters on the plates to conceal their identity. The police found manually inscribed letters H and F on yellow reflectors, using black insulation tape, to alter the registration number to read either AEF 5723 or AEH 5723.
As the news of the syndicate’s arrest spread, victims from across the country, including those from the Matabeleland provinces, began filing reports at Mutare Central Police Station. The suspects are facing multiple counts of fraud, with dockets still being consolidated.
The syndicate’s alleged use of counterfeit US$100 notes, a currency widely accepted and valued in Zimbabwe, has raised concerns about the potential for further fraud and economic instability. The arrest of these “fake mbingas,” as they have been dubbed, serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of counterfeit currency and the importance of vigilance in financial transactions.
The police are urging the public to be cautious when dealing with large sums of cash, particularly US dollars, and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities. The investigation into the syndicate’s activities is ongoing, and it is expected that more arrests will be made in the coming days.
