By Paul Katanda

A 30-year-old soldier, Thulani Maphosa and a cop, Michael Khanyiso Moyo, appeared in court following their arrest during a shoot out with police detectivesduring a foiled armed robbery in Harare.

The foiled armed robbery took place at a house in Greendale on Wednesday night.

They appeared before Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda who advised them to seek bail at the High Court.

Maphosa and Moyo are part of a gang including  Dalubuhle Ndlovu, 36 and Precious Dube(40) who were remanded to their hospital beds.

They are all expected in court on April 4.

The court heard that Maphosa is a soldier stationed in Bulawayo while Moyo is stationed at Pumula Police Station.

Dube was already on police’s wanted list over a cash-in-transit robbery near Connemara Prison on November 25 last year when US$334 000 was stolen from a Fawcett Security van.

The other accomplice is Meluleki Makhalima who was shot dead.

Two other accomplices only identified as Sean and Fundisani are still on the run.

Sean is said to be a South African national and Fundisani is from Bulawayo.

The gang is also being charged with unlawful possession of firearms.

According to prosecutors, police detectives recieved a tip off that the seven suspects were planning to rob a house on Gelcon Avenue in Greendale.

A surveillance was set up.

Officers watched the suspects park their vehicles, a South Africa registered dark blue Golf 6 and a navy-blue Toyota Corolla near the property.

Dogs started barking forcing the suspects to retreat to their vehicles before they drove into town unaware they were being followed by police officers.

The suspects drove to a Glow Petroleum service station near Harare Agricultral Showgrounds road and parked their vehicles.

A team from the Criminal Investigations Department approached the suspects and indicated that they were police officers.

The gang suddenly started shooting at the team, which returned fire.

Ndlovu, Dube, and Makhalima  were shot while  Maphosa and Khanyiso were placed under arrest.

Makhalima was pronounced dead on arrival at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Investigators recovered a pistol and a revolver at the scene.