Businessman loses K520,000 in daylight robbery, police arrest two, launch manhunt for other suspects

A Chingola businessman has been robbed of K520,000 in a daylight incident, leading to the arrest of two foreign nationals while two others remain on the run.

Copperbelt Police say the theft occurred on Wednesday after the suspects allegedly trailed 29-year-old businessman Nicky Zhu from the bank before breaking into his parked vehicle at Chingola.

Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Mwala Yuyi said Zhu had withdrawn the cash from FNB Bank to pay workers’ salaries and proceeded to Megaeggs Company where he briefly left the money in his Toyota Prado.

“The complainant placed the money in a black leather bag on the front passenger seat of his motor vehicle before entering Megaeggs Company. The suspects are believed to have followed him from the bank and took advantage of his absence to break into the vehicle and steal the bag,” Yuyi said.

He said the suspects attempted to escape in their getaway vehicle, but a security guard fired a shot that damaged one of the front tyres, causing them to lose control. Police officers responded quickly to the scene.

One suspect, identified as Edwin Khanye, a 53-year-old national of South Africa, was found hiding in nearby bushes and apprehended.

Another suspect, 40-year-old Thembi Nkhosi Dube, a national of Zimbabwe, was later arrested by members of the public after attempting to flee on a bus heading to Lusaka.

Police recovered a separate set of number plates and a rivet gun believed to have been used to mount the plates on the abandoned vehicle.

Two other suspects — Zonke Nyoka and Richard Dubuzi, both Zimbabwean nationals — are still at large, and the stolen K520,000 has not yet been recovered.

Yuyi said a full-scale manhunt has been launched, while the two arrested suspects remain in police custody charged with theft from a motor vehicle.

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