The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has provided an update on Abraham and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu, the infamous brothers linked to the US$4 million Ecobank heist in Bulawayo last year.
The pair were arrested in South Africa on July 5, 2025, and remain in custody as extradition proceedings continue. Zimbabwean authorities are working to bring them back to face charges for one of the biggest bank robberies in the country’s history.
ZRP Says Extradition is Still “In Progress”
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed to The Herald that efforts to bring the brothers back are ongoing. He gave a brief response, noting only that the extradition is “a work in progress.”
Elijah, believed to be the mastermind behind the robbery, had managed to live what looked like a respectable life in South Africa. He ran a trucking business, lived in upmarket areas, and reportedly acquired several properties—including a large farm called Orange Farm, where he was eventually caught after an intense manhunt.
Sources say he sold some of his assets to invest in more secluded rural properties—moves investigators believe were part of his attempt to disappear after the heist.
NPA Tracks Assets as Investigations Deepen
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Zimbabwe is now working closely with South African authorities to trace the suspects’ assets, including luxury vehicles and haulage trucks purchased after the robbery.
The Vumbunu brothers are said to own a fleet of trucks operating across the region, raising suspicions that some of the money was laundered through business fronts.
Their arrest followed a formal request for provisional custody from Zimbabwe, which allowed South African police to apprehend the pair.
According to investigators, the Vumbunu gang was based in South Africa and would only travel into Zimbabwe to execute high-stakes robberies—a pattern that made them harder to track.
The October 3, 2024 heist at Ecobank Bulawayo remains one of the most audacious bank robberies in Zimbabwean history and prompted Interpol to join the search for the six suspects, including the brothers.
Elijah’s Criminal Past: A 40-Year Sentence, Bail, and a Prison Break
Elijah’s criminal record runs deep. He had previously been convicted of a 2003 armed robbery in Mutare, where his gang stole US$40 million in local and foreign currency. Despite being handed a 40-year prison sentence, he was released on ZW$50 bail while appealing the verdict.
He was also implicated in a 2005 prison break at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, an incident that shook the country at the time due to its scale and planning.
Meanwhile, a third Vumbunu sibling, Takafa Vumbunu, who also goes by the alias Naison Mahembe, is still at large. Authorities believe he may also be in South Africa and are continuing the hunt.
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The post Vumbunu Brothers: Police Share New Details on Arrested US$4M Ecobank Robbery Suspects appeared first on iHarare News.
