Cross-border crime rising as economy sinks

Police forces in Southern Africa are waking up to a new threat: gangs of disciplined, well-armed former Zimbabwean soldiers involved in high-value robberies. South Africa has borne the brunt of a spree of organised raids on isolated casinos and cash-in-transit vans, reportedly conducted efficiently and with minimum violence. "We only woke up to the fact that we could be facing seasoned soldiers when we arrested a cash-in-transit gang in the West Rand in late 2004. Many of them turned out to be ex-soldiers, and thereafter similar catches were made in connection with casino hits in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal [provinces]," said a senior detective in the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, who asked not to be named. Senior detectives in Polokwane, in Limpopo province on the border with Zimbabwe, told IRIN that investigations into a string of robberies were ongoing, but well-planned attacks on remote casinos in the province late last year were the work of a gang with 15 to 20 members carrying AK-47 assault rifles - the standard weapon of the Zimbabwean police and army. "These people bring all they need ... [provide their own] transport, always strike at the right time, and will get away without firing a single shot if not challenged. Once they leave the crime scene, they disappear into thin air, which is why we think we are dealing with a gang that comes occasionally to strike it big, and goes back [home] to spend," said the detective. Members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) IRIN spoke to said they were not surprised that serving and retired soldiers were involved in armed robbery, and pointed to an erosion of discipline in the armed forces as a result of worsening service conditions. "It is true that some of these people are now part of the spiralling crime wave in South Africa, but they are not an organised syndicate. These are small groups who go in to make a raid and quickly dash back," said one officer. "The low pay, low morale and the fact that juniors have been watching [senior] officers feathering their nests illegally since the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] conflict has contributed in a big way to crime in the service. So we now have retired and serving members who form themselves into groups that go around robbing," he remarked. Shadow defence minister of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Job Sikhala, who sits on the parliamentary portfolio for defence, said there was no doubt that elements of the security forces were involved in armed robberies in the region. "Those allegations are true. Even at home the uniformed forces are increasingly turning to violent, often armed crimes that use state-supplied firearms. However, we do not have any cases of serving officers being arrested or suspected, so we believe this could be the work of deserters or retired personnel," Sikhala told IRIN. The ZNA public relations department said it could not comment until it had investigated the allegations. An average trooper earns US $100 a month, but household expenditure for the average family is US $353, and rising.