By A Correspondent- Police in Zimbabwe say they have a list of wanted criminals who evaded justice by fleeing to Botswana and South Africa, and are now targeting various quarantine centres where the fugitives are being fished out from among the returnees.

South Africa last week deported some of its convicts back to Zimbabwe in order to deal with the issue of coronavirus spreading in jails, and police are already looking to arrest suspected criminals who would be taken to court and prosecuted.

However, some of the returnees are returning voluntarily after having lost their sources of livelihoods due to the lockdowns in countries they were living in. Others had just visited those countries for holiday, business or to seek treatment, and were just caught by circumstances while abroad.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyati told the State-owned media that one suspected criminal from Plumtree who returned a few days ago had since been taken to court to answer to his charges.

Yesterday about 135 people who were returning into the country from Botswana and South Africa arrived in Harare where they were taken to Harare Polytechnic for quarantine.

Out of the 135 people, who arrived at Harare Polytechnic yesterday afternoon, some would be continuing their journeys to Mashonaland East and West since the policy is to quarantine people as close to home as possible.

The exercise to quarantine all returning residents is part of the measures put in place by Government to reduce the spread of the deadly Covid-19.

Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Clifford Motera said they had prepared a number of quarantine centres around the capital.