By Tariro Kamudyariwa
In a jaw-dropping twist worthy of a crime thriller, former Premier Soccer League (PSL) footballer Tumorigenic Matsika, infamously known as Brian Abbas Amidu, has been hauled before the courts after being nabbed with a staggering 780 kilograms of dagga — a bust valued at a whopping $78,000 on the street.
The 29-year-old ex-sportsman, once cheered by thousands on the pitch, now finds himself on the wrong side of the law, handcuffed next to his alleged accomplice Kudzai “Reuben” Mhlanga (41). The pair appeared at the Kwekwe Magistrate Court recently following a dramatic police operation that could have come straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Acting on a confidential tip-off received on 4 October 2025, sharp-eyed detectives launched a high-stakes stakeout along the Kwekwe–Kadoma Highway, near the Gokwe turn-off. What they found shocked even seasoned officers: the duo caught in the act, frantically stuffing shrink-wrapped dagga packets into a silver Honda Fit Shuttle.
A search of the vehicle revealed a massive haul — 75 packets of dagga wrapped in black plastic, a telltale sign of a highly organized smuggling operation. The bust led to the immediate arrest of the suspects, ending what police believe may have been months of covert trafficking activity.
Even more alarming, police sources allege that both Matsika and Mhlanga frequently use multiple aliases, a slick tactic designed to throw off law enforcement and maintain a veil of anonymity in their shady dealings.
Unemployed and now under the microscope of anti-drug enforcement units, the two are suspected to be key players in a larger, more sinister drug syndicate spanning several cities.
According to sources, this is not Matsika’s first run-in with the law. He is already battling similar drug charges at the Epworth Magistrate Court (CRB EPA 407/25) and is under investigation at Harare Central Police Station (CR 636/03/25).
The court has postponed the matter to October 16, giving investigators more time to unravel the full extent of what could be one of Zimbabwe’s biggest drug trafficking sagas involving a former football hero.
