HARARE
–
Police
investigators
are
“working
flat
out”
to
extradite
the
Vumbunu
brothers,
the
alleged
masterminds
of
Zimbabwe’s
biggest
cash
heist,
an
official
said
on
Wednesday.
Authorities
have
already
secured
the
extradition
of
39-year-old
Bhekani
Mlilo,
one
of
the
alleged
robbers,
from
Botswana.
He
appeared
in
a
Bulawayo
court
last
week
and
was
remanded
in
custody
to
December
5.
National
police
spokesman
Commissioner
Paul
Nyathi
said
legal
processes
were
still
underway
to
bring
Abraham
Temayi
Vumbunu
and
Elijah
Temayi
Vumbunu
back
to
Zimbabwe.
The
pair
were
arrested
by
South
African
police
on
July
5.
Police
link
the
brothers
and
Mlilo
to
the
October
3,
2024,
gun
raid
at
an
Ecobank
branch
in
central
Bulawayo,
during
which
a
gang
seized
cash
boxes
containing
US$4
million.
At
least
seven
men
took
part
in
the
daylight
robbery
as
Safeguard
security
guards
ferried
the
cash
out
of
the
bank.
Police
have
named
Simon
Xola
Ngcobo,
Menzeli
Mpofu
and
a
man
identified
only
as
Khalid
Ntimen
as
persons
of
interest.
A
Safeguard
supervisor
arrested
in
connection
with
the
robbery
was
released
without
charge.
Nyathi,
addressing
a
press
briefing
in
Bulawayo,
said
investigators
had
uncovered
evidence
of
possible
collusion
between
the
robbers
and
bank
staff.
“There
are
clear
procedures
and
protocols
to
be
followed.
You
can’t
just
take
anybody
without
observing
legal
requirements,”
he
said
of
the
extradition
process.
“In
South
Africa,
they
have
to
appear
before
the
courts
there
before
being
remanded
to
Zimbabwe.”
He
said
police
were
now
certain
the
robbery
involved
“inside
people”,
noting
similarities
with
other
recent
high-profile
robberies
where
employees
leaked
operational
information.
“It
is
clear.
We
now
know
they
were
working
with
inside
people,”
he
said.
“We’ve
been
seeing
cases
where
inside
information
is
used.
That
is
why
we
are
urging
companies,
including
financial
institutions,
to
vet
their
employees.”
Nyathi
cited
a
recent
case
involving
a
bakery
where
a
driver
sent
to
collect
US$10,000
allegedly
connived
with
relatives
to
stage
a
robbery.
“Sometimes
people
stage
robberies,”
he
warned.
“Companies
must
not
take
things
for
granted.
We
must
stop
allowing
employees
to
work
with
outsiders
and
steal
from
the
company’s
investment.”
He
urged
businesses
to
strengthen
internal
controls,
saying
law
enforcement
alone
cannot
stop
syndicates
exploiting
staff
members
to
gain
access
to
large
sums
of
cash.
During
Mlilo’s
court
appearance,
prosecutors
also
revealed
that
the
gang
had
not
only
targeted
the
Ecobank
branch
in
the
city
centre
but
also
the
bank’s
Bradfield
branch.
From
the
9th
Avenue
and
Fife
Street
branch,
the
gang
allegedly
seized
cash
boxes
containing
US$3,983,500
along
with
three
firearms
taken
from
Safeguard
guards.
An
additional
cash
box
containing
US$465,500
was
stolen
from
the
Bradfield
branch
bringing
the
total
amount
stolen
to
$4,449,000.
The
National
Prosecuting
Authority
further
disclosed
that
the
Ford
Ranger
used
in
the
robberies
was
registered
in
the
name
of
Nomsa
Aneline
Zingela
and
had
been
driven
into
Zimbabwe
from
South
Africa.
The
robbers
allegedly
replaced
the
South
African
number
plates
with
fake
Zimbabwean
plates
in
preparation
for
the
heist.