Cop and Soldier Among 5 Bank Robbers Arrested After Nearly 2 Years in Matebeleland North

Cop and Soldier Among 5 Bank Robbers Arrested After Nearly 2 Years in Matebeleland North

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have arrested five suspects linked to a series of armed robberies. The suspects had been on the police’s wanted list for nearly two years in connection with armed robberies in Hwange and an attempted robbery at BancABC Bank in Kamativi earlier this week.

The arrested suspects are Derren Tshuma (25), Proud Gumbo (30), Thamsanqa Moyo (33), Michael Donald Sibanda (26), and Majority Ndlovu (26). However, one suspect, Mxolisi Sibanda, is still on the run after evading police capture.

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Police Sting Operation at BancABC Kamativi

Police received a tip-off about a planned robbery at BancABC Bank in Kamativi. Acting on this information, they monitored the bank on Tuesday. During the surveillance, officers heard a gunshot and saw three suspects fleeing the scene. The police gave chase and successfully apprehended Derren Tshuma. Upon searching Tshuma, officers found a spent cartridge and a National Identification card which was stolen during an armed robbery at a garage in Hwange on May 5, 2024.

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5 Bank Robbers Arrested After Nearly 2 Years in Matebeleland North

Further police investigations led to the arrest of Proud Gumbo at a bus stop near Cross Dete along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road on Wednesday. Gumbo’s arrest resulted in the recovery of a Browning pistol. He also provided information that led to the arrest of Thamsanqa Moyo, Michael Donald Sibanda, and Majority Ndlovu. Gumbo is an employee of the Zimbabwe National Army at the 1.2 Infantry Battalion in Hwange, while Thamsanqa Moyo is a police officer stationed at ZRP Traffic and resides at Dete Camp.

The suspects’ getaway vehicles, a Nissan AD Van with the license plate AGN 7534 and a Nissan Sunny with the license plate ACD 5508, were also recovered by the police.

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Armed Robbers Arrested in Matabeleland North Linked to Multiple Incidents

The five suspects are connected to five armed robbery cases that took place in Victoria Falls and Hwange between December 31, 2022, and June 30, 2024. These include a robbery at ZB Bank in Victoria Falls on December 31, 2022, where US$15,964 in cash was stolen, and another robbery at a service station on January 8, 2024, where a security guard was stabbed in the back with an okapi knife before cash was taken. The suspects are also linked to a robbery at a bar in Lwendulu Village, Hwange, on June 2, 2024, where cash and cellphones were stolen.

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Police Appeal for Public Assistance

In a statement announcing the arrests, the ZRP praised the public for providing crucial information that led to the suspects’ capture. The police are now appealing for any information that could help locate the remaining suspect, Mxolisi Sibanda. Anyone with information is urged to contact the National Complaints Desk at (0242) 703631, send a WhatsApp message to 0712 800 197, or visit their nearest police station.

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