AN armed robber, who participated in the ZB Bank US$2,7 million heist, spilled the beans following his arrest when he approached the police to report his brother, who spent his share of the loot.
Alfred Shumba left the loot in his brother’s custody and fled to South Africa in 2021.
Harare magistrate Jessie Kufa remanded Shumba in custody to April 3 this year after he was arraigned before the courts facing an armed robbery charge.
He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Shumba sold out his brother to the police after he blew US$150 000, which was part of his share from the heist.
According to investigations, his named brother was also arrested, but was acquitted by a Harare court.
It is the State’s case that on January 6, 2021, Shumba and his accomplices hatched a plan to rob a cash-in-transit crew of seven cash boxes containing US$2 775 000.
It further alleges that Fanuel Musakwa, one of the cash-in-transit crew members, communicated with the robbers while travelling.
- Karoi armed robbers remanded in custody
- Karoi robbers remanded in custody
- ZB Bank heist mastermind in court
- Govt guarantees Sable, Silo loans
Keep Reading
It is alleged that the cash was to be distributed to ZB Bank branches in Chinhoyi, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru, Fife Street Bulawayo branch, Gwanda, and Zvishavane.
Along the way, the cash-in-transit crew members collected one box containing ZWL43 090 at Inkomo tollgate, which was supposed to be deposited with the bank.
The crew members drove off towards Chinhoyi and the driver picked up three accomplices at Inkomo turn off after Musakwa asked him to ferry them, pretending they were genuine travellers.
At the 60km peg, the driver stopped the motor vehicle and some accomplices disembarked, produced a pistol and threatened to shoot the crew members.
Other accomplices immediately arrived, in a red twin-cab vehicle while armed with unidentified pistols.
They seized a pistol and a rifle from the complainants before driving from the highway to a secluded place. There, they offloaded the boxes of cash and loaded them into their motor vehicle which was being driven by Gerald Rutizirira. They drove off.
Shumba and his accomplices allegedly went to a farming area west of Nyabira, where they broke the boxes and stole US$2 775 000 and ZW$43 090, shared the loot among themselves and dumped the boxes.
