US$2,7m bank heist: Brother tips off cops….his brother — whom he had entrusted with his share of the robbery proceeds squandered the money and tipped off police

A MAN who had been on the run for four years following the infamous ZB Bank US$2,7 million cash-in-transit heist has been arrested after his brother — whom he had entrusted with his share of the robbery proceeds — squandered the money and tipped off police.

Alfred Shumba, who had been hiding in South Africa since the January 2021 robbery, appeared before Harare magistrate Jessie Kufa this week following his extradition.

His arrest came after his brother, who had spent the loot Shumba left in his care, contacted police when confronted over the missing money.

According to court documents, the robbery occurred on January 6, 2021, when Shumba and his accomplices executed a carefully planned heist targeting cash-in-transit crew members transporting seven boxes containing US$2 775 000 and ZW$43 ,090.

Court papers reveal that Fanuel Musakwa, a member of the cash-in-transit crew, acted as an inside accomplice, communicating the crew’s movements to Shumba and other gang members who followed the vehicle from Harare.

The robbers disarmed the security personnel, taking a pistol and rifle.

They drove the cash vehicle off the highway to a secluded location, offloaded the boxes of cash into a red Toyota Hilux driven by Gerald Rutizirira, and fled the scene, leaving the crew members unharmed but stranded.

The gang proceeded to farms west of Nyabira, where they broke open the boxes and shared the loot before dumping the empty containers.

Several of Shumba’s accomplices were arrested shortly after the robbery. Rutizirira, the getaway vehicle driver, was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison.

Shumba, however, managed to evade capture by fleeing to South Africa, where he remained until his brother’s dissipation of his stolen funds led to his undoing.

The suspect confronted his brother after discovering the money had been spent, demanding repayment. In response, the brother alerted South African authorities, leading to Shumba’s arrest and subsequent handover to Zimbabwean police.

Shumba is now expected to face trial alongside his already-convicted accomplices. Herald