In a development that highlights potential investigative shortcomings by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Zimbabwe Military Police (MP) on Tuesday apprehended a notorious international drug trafficker and his accomplice in Harare, just days after the police had given up on their search.
Sources revealed to The Mirror that Military Police arrested Ali Allan Mamudu (55) at his residence, 440 Kairezi Street, Marimba, Harare, after CID Harare reported that they had been unable to locate him. Almost simultaneously, they also detained his suspected accomplice, Khumbo Njima from Blantyre, Malawi.
Mamudu had previously evaded arrest in Masvingo on Sunday morning after allegedly being found in possession of 175kg of mbanje valued at US$22,000. The illicit shipment originated from Eswatini and passed through Beitbridge Border Post en route to Malawi. Following their arrest by Military Police, both suspects were handed over to ZRP and appeared in court on Wednesday.
According to the State, Mamudu, along with Limbikani Mwanandi and Njima, had been traveling on an FA Roadlink Bus from South Africa. The bus, transporting the contraband in a trailer, passed through Beitbridge Border Post on Saturday but broke down at the Bulawayo turnoff in Masvingo at around 1 AM on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, undercover police officers monitored the bus until a Nissan NV 350 commuter omnibus arrived from Harare, and the suspects began transferring the sealed mbanje into the vehicle.
As detectives moved in, Mamudu, his son Joel, and Njima allegedly fled in a VW Polo with South African registration. Meanwhile, Mwanandi and Speakmore Mhonda (39), a soldier from the Zimbabwe National Army, were arrested at the scene. Mhonda, reportedly the son of Brigadier General Fidelis Mhonda, the Presidential Guard commander, claimed in his warned and cautioned statement that he was merely assisting a neighbor. He stated that Mamudu had called his son to bring the Nissan NV 350 to transport the consignment after his vehicle broke down in Masvingo. Since Joel did not have a driver’s license, he asked Mhonda to drive him there.
Upon arrival at the breakdown site, police intervened and arrested Mhonda, who insisted he was unaware of the contents being transported. Other suspects corroborated his claim, saying they had only encountered Mhonda at the time of the arrest. Following this, CID prepared a docket implicating Speakmore. When the police declared they could not locate Mamudu, the Military Police stepped in, allegedly to assist in bringing suspects to justice.
On Tuesday, Military Police successfully detained Mamudu and Njima, later transferring them to the police. Notably, the CID’s court docket lacked details about their arrest or the identities of those who apprehended them. However, sources confirmed that the Military Police had taken the initiative to track and capture the suspects. There was a notable Military Police presence in court when Mhonda appeared before Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi for a bail ruling on Thursday. Bail was denied on the grounds that he was deemed a flight risk after allegedly fleeing from detectives at the scene and only stopping when warning shots were fired.
Mhonda, represented by Collen Maboke of Ruvengo Maboke Legal Practitioners, is expected to apply for bail at the High Court on Monday. Meanwhile, Joel remains at large.
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