|
Iringa Police still hunting for Mt Kitonga bandits
2006-01-20 08:34:42
By Mawazo Malembeka, PST, Iringa
The police in Iringa Region are still hunting for gangsters who hijacked two vehicles near Kitonga Mountains in the region recently, the Regional Police Commander, Matei Basilio told PST yesterday.
Two people, believed to be bandits with a sub machine gun (SMG) and a pistol hijacked a pick up which carried two Thai nationals and killed the driver of the pick up on the spot and escaped with 28m/-.
The RPC said the driver who was shot has been identified as Paul Amri Lukunjilo (35), a resident of Kigogo in Dar es Salaam.
He said the late Lukunjilo was driving a Toyota pickup with registration number T957 ABA, the property of GemWay Ltd of Dar es Salaam, and was taking the two Thai nationals to Songea to purchase gemstones.
Basilio added:
’As they reached Ikokoto area in the approaches of the Kitonga Mountain, two armed people suddenly stopped them but the driver refused to stop. That is when they shot him dead.’
Basilio said the gangsters escaped with two bags of money leaving the two Thais, Narit Petmit and Worrabon Angkhahirun alive.
He said the incident blocked the road causing a very long queue of vehicles passing along it.
He said the two Thais ran towards a Scandinavia Bus that was closer when the incident was taking place.
’The Scandinavia driver communicated with the Scandinavia office in Dar es Salaam via radio call, who then communicated to their office in Iringa.
It’s the Scandinavia office in Iringa that told the police of the incident,’ the RPC explained.
The RPC said following the incident, the Iringa police have mounted a hunt in the Kitonga Mountains to catch the criminals.
He, however, warned the business community to stop moving with a lot of cash while travelling and instead use bank transfers.
Earlier, it was erroneously reported that the incident involved two vehicles, a pick up and a lorry, and that the driver who was shot was a Chinese national.
|
