A security guard from a local security company appeared in court for teaming up with his colleague and breaking into a shop in Hillcrest suburb in Bulawayo where he was deployed and stealing more than US$12 000.

Caston Kuchena (42) from Entumbane suburb employed by Safeguard Security and his accomplice Calpher Karonga (30) from Ntabazinduna appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nomagugu Maphosa facing two counts of unlawful entry and theft.

The duo pleaded guilty and were remanded in custody for sentencing.

The court heard that sometime in March the duo hatched a plan to steal from Total Energies where Kuchena was assigned to secure. The court heard that after hatching their plan on 19 March 2023 and at around 5pm the two went to a local shop and bought a one-metre yellow explosive power code, an explosive fuse and explosive emulates.

They then went to Total Energies where Kuchena was deployed as a security guard.

At around 2am, the duo opened the ceiling trap door of the rest room at the back of the building and after getting inside the ceiling, they walked until they reached the ceiling trap door of the front office which they used to get to the main shop.

While inside the main shop the culprits used an unknown object to break the door leading to other offices where they later forced open two other doors which they were to use as an escape route.

While they were inside the shop, they used explosives to blast the cash box which was fitted on the wall, and they took away US$12 132 and R900 before escaping from the scene.

The blast was heard by security guards from another security company who were on patrol, and they rushed to the scene where they found Kuchena who was clad in his uniform, and they apprehended him.

The security guards also managed to arrest Karonga after a chase and they managed to recover US$165 and R750 which he was hiding in his jacket.

In a bid to cover up his misdeeds, Kuchena then called other members from his company who swiftly reacted and took Karonga to Hillside Police Station.

When Karonga was being interviewed by the police, he implicated Kuchena leading to his arrest.

The stolen money was US$12 132, R900 and only US$165 and R750 was recovered. Chronicle