Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo-Court Correspondent
A 33-YEAR-OLD truck driver, Terminedge Jume, has appeared in court facing fraud charges after allegedly orchestrating a large-scale copper theft valued at US$600 000.
Jume appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Ignatio Mhene, who remanded him in custody pending determination of his bail application.
Prosecutor Mrs Heather Mhlanga-Muokoto told the court that the case dates back to December 12 last year, when Jume was assigned to transport a five-tonne consignment of copper worth US$150 000 to Durban, South Africa, as part of a three-truck convoy.
After completing the delivery, he reportedly loaded another consignment of sulphur destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On February 6 this year, Jume allegedly collected another load of copper in the DRC, which was meant to pass through Harare en route to Durban.
While travelling with a convoy near the Whiskey border control area between the DRC and Zambia, Jume allegedly conspired with accomplices identified as Zimbabweans Shingi, Evans and an unnamed Zambian to steal the consignment.
It is alleged that he tampered with the truck’s GPS tracking system before breaking away from the convoy and diverting from the designated route.
He reportedly drove about 113km to Kaniakula, another crossing point in Zambia near Kitwe, where the group allegedly unhooked the trailer and transferred 34 tonnes of copper on to another truck. The suspects are said to have erased identifying details from the truck before abandoning it.
The getaway vehicle carrying the stolen copper later ran into trouble after getting stuck in mud on its way to Kitwe, leading to interception by local authorities.
Police recovered copper valued at US$450 000, while about five tonnes worth US$150 000, had already been removed using smaller vehicles and taken to unknown destinations.
