Own Correspondent|POLICE say they have arrested nine people, five of them teenagers, in Harare who were found stealing National Railway of Zimbabwe (NRZ) wagon wheels on workers day.

The nine were caught loading NRZ wagon wheels and couples into a lorry at Workington marshalling yard in Harare at 02.30 AM a police statement revealed.

“At the time of their arrest, the nine suspects had already loaded 13 wagon wheels and a coupler into a Volvo lorry which they were using.

According to current statutes set up during the colonial era anyone found tampering with railway equipment is liable to life imprisonment.

The section reads: “Contravening section 38 of the Railway Act with intend to obstruct, upset, overthrow, injure or destroy any locomotive, rolling stock or other vehicle using a railway or to endanger the safety of any person travelling or being upon a railway, takes up, removes or displaces any rail, sleeper or other matter or thing shall be guilty of an offence and liable to be sentenced to imprisonment for life.”

The gang was remanded in custody to the 9th of April.