Maputo — The Mozambican police have arrested two members of a gang that ambushed vehicles on the country's main north-south road, in the central province of Sofala.

Their worst crime was on 20 January, when they attacked a vehicle at Goonda, in Chibabava district, and shot dead its driver, Antonio Elias.

The police say the gang consisted of four people, two of whom were arrested last Thursday and brought to Beira. One of these men, Saize Jossias, is a police officer, and head of the secretariat in Chibabava district police command.

19 year old Goonda resident Rachide Nampalamula, arrested in possession of an AK-47 rifle, and a pair of handcuffs, said it was Jossias who supplied them.

The other two members of the gang, currently still at large, have been named as Elias Dhlakama, the leader of the group, and Felix Zacarias. "Our friend Elias Dhlakama showed us the guns and said they had been provided by his uncle Jossias", said Nampalamula. He added that it was Jossias who urged them to attack and steal a car, because he wanted one to sell in the neighbouring district of Nhamatanda.

On the same night that they murdered Antonio Elias, Dhlakama, Zacarias and Nampalamula raided several informal stalls at Mutindir, stealing goods and money from their owners.

Saize Jossias denied any involvement in the crime. As for the appearance of a police gun in the hands of criminals, he claimed "on 19 January thieves broke into the arsenal of the Chibabava police command, and the following day armed attacks took place on the main road and against the Mutindir market".

Jossias said he did not know any of the other three. "This Elias Dhlakama who says he's my nephew, I can only confirm that after seeing his face, since I have lots of nephews with the same name", he said.