HARARE – Two serial burglars were charged with five counts of housebreaking on Monday as a court heard that two of their victims were Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents.

Kudakwashe Chirendo, 27, and Vitalis Mutinhiri, 43, were a two-man crimewave between February and this month when detectives finally arrested them, the court heard.

Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi remanded the duo, who are represented by Norman Ndomene, in custody to Wednesday when he will rule on their bail application.

The National Prosecuting Authority says CIO agent Mharadze Zvidzai retired to bed at 10PM sometime in May after securing his doors at his Mt Pleasant house.

It is alleged that during the night, Chirendo and Mutinhiri forced open an aluminium sliding door and gained entry into the house. They stole a 32-inch Samsung TV, a gas tank, curtains and US$10 in cash.

On July 12 this month, another CIO agent Tawanda Marlvin Jangano was at work when a neighbour called to say there had been a break-in at his house in an area known as ‘New Stands’ in Mabvuku.

Jangano raced to his house and discovered that his 65-inch TV, a solar inverter, car battery, gas tank, blankets, a radio and some groceries had been stolen.

Detectives caught a lucky break when an informant supplied information which led to the arrest of the duo.

Police recovered Zvidzai’s 32-inch TV which he valued at US$120 but could not recover other property worth US$200.

In the case of Jangano, his stolen property was valued at US$1,800 and police were able to recover valuables worth US$562.

During interviews, police were able to close three other home invasion cases.

In the first, George Garufu of Mabvuku-Tafara and a retired deputy paymaster at the Salary Services Bureau, told police he retired to bed at 2AM on February 11. A neighbour woke him up at around 4AM and told him that his sliding door was open. His 42-inch LG TV was missing.

Moreblessing Bunure, an accountant at Harare Hospital, received a call from her husband at 7.30AM on April 9. There had been a break-in at their Mabvuku-Tafara house while they were both out.

Chirendo and Mutinhiri had used some cutting tool to force open the key before stealing two gas tanks, it is alleged.

In the third incident, Tinotenda Kamwendo also of Mabvuku-Tafara left home at 2PM on May 25 to attend church. A neighbour called at around 4PM to advise her that there had been a break-in at her house.

The thieves had again cut the key to gain access. They stole a Sony 42-inch TV.

Police recovered all the property stolen from Garufu, Bunure and Kamwendo.