Fresh details emerge on Sh10 billion Tanzanite heist
Supervisors were allegedly hiding raw tanzanite (shown above) in their boots and overalls in the hours before Thursday’s daring heist. PHOTO | WIKIPEDIA
What you need to know:
Some employees of Tanzanite One Mining Limited(TML) at Mererani in Simanjiro District have confided that the incident may have been an inside job probably involving the workers, the security guards and outsiders.
Arusha. More facts are emerging on the alleged theft of Tanzanite gemstones worth Sh10 billion at Mererani mines in the wee hours of Thursday morning last week.
Some employees of Tanzanite One Mining Limited(TML) at Mererani in Simanjiro District have confided that the incident may have been an inside job probably involving the workers, the security guards and outsiders.
Those who were working underground on the material day the theft is said to have occurred confess to have seen senior company officials taking the minerals away in suspect circumstances.
They said instead of putting the raw gemstones into special bags ready to be carted away from the mines to the polishing house, the said officials were seen allegedly hiding the minerals in their gum boots and overalls.
“I saw some supervisors tucking the minerals into their shoes and coats instead of the bags,” said one of the workers who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Another employee, who also requested his name not to be published in the newspapers over safety concerns, hinted some company officials he associated with the looting and disappearance of the rare gems were among those in custody as police try to establish what transpired.
Other workers confided that similar cases have happened in the past but rarely reported and that this could have been going even before the firm sold its shares to the State Mining Corporation (Stamico).
When reached on phone to give more details on what could be a record heist at the giant mining company, TML director Douglas Swartz declined to comment, saying the issue was being handled by the police.
The Regional Police Commander (RPC) for Manyara, Mr Deusdedit Nsimeki, said seven people, including some mine officials, were being questioned on the theft which has left more questions than answers on the way it was executed.
A Stamico official, who identified himself as Engineer Alphonce Bikalumchi, declined to comment as well, but said he suspects the theft could have been an inside job.
“Let us leave it to the police investigators to establish the truth”, he pointed out.
Initial reports say about 15 kilogrammes of the rare gems worth Sh10bn found nowhere else in the world except Mererani, were carted away at 2:30 am on Thursday by armed people.
