By Matabeleland North Correspondent

HWANGE: A thieving police officer who allegedly escaped from detention a fortnight ago has been arrested.

Maxwell Musariri was arrested in Beitbridge last week as he attempted to escape into neighbouring South Africa.

The cop, who was stationed at Hwange Police Station, allegedly escaped from Hwange Prison where he was detained on remand for 12 counts of unlawful entry and theft.

This was after he allegedly broke into the cottages of his colleagues and stole an assortment of household goods.

Musariri, 28, escaped in the company of an Inyanga from Binga who had started serving his sentence for rape and attempted rape.

The duo reportedly used a piece of steel from a combat boot to drill a hole on the wooden wall of the prison cell.

Musariri was not formally charged with escaping from lawful custody when he appeared before magistrate Livard Philimon last Tuesday.

He was remanded in custody to this week, the same date he is set to appear for routine remand on the 12 counts of unlawful entry and theft.

The suspect is accused of breaking into houses of six police officers in Hwange and stole a laptop, a TV set, a DSTV decoder, car batteries, cell-phones and other such gadgets.

He allegedly sold some of the stolen goods in Hwange, Victoria Falls, Gweru, Masvingo and at his rural home in Chirumhanzu in the Midlands province.

Some of the property was recovered after his arrest. His escape accomplice Muleya is still at large.