ERB, DEC task force seize 6,480 litres of fuel, arrest 8 suspects in Lusaka crackdown

A joint enforcement team has uncovered and dismantled coordinated illegal fuel operations in Lusaka, resulting in the seizure of thousands of litres of petroleum products and the arrest of multiple suspects.

The operation was conducted by the Energy Regulation Board, working with the Drug Enforcement Commission-led Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Vending.

This is according to a joint statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday by the ERB Public Relations Manager Namukolo Kasumpa and DEC Deputy Public Relations Officer Theresa Mawere.

Officers targeted locations in Lusaka’s Industrial Area, where they discovered a concealed underground storage facility during enforcement activities.

The facility was being used to hide petroleum products siphoned from tanker trucks and stored in smaller containers for distribution.

“During an enforcement operation conducted in the Industrial Area, officers discovered a concealed underground tunnel used to store approximately 4,500 litres of petroleum products contained in 40-litre containers. The fuel is suspected to have been siphoned from tanker trucks,” reads the statement.

Investigations into the individuals involved in the Industrial Area operation are still ongoing, according to authorities.

“The operation was subsequently extended to Kanyama, Zanimuone, and Chifwema area, resulting in additional seizures and the arrest of eight suspects for various illegal fuel offences. In total, 6,480 litres of petroleum products were seized,” the Task Force reported.

All eight suspects arrested during the extended operations are currently in lawful custody awaiting court proceedings.

“The Task Force wishes to express concern over the increasing illegal fuel activities, warning that such practices threaten public safety, undermine fair competition, deprive the Government of revenue, and pose significant fire and environmental risks,” the statement warned.

The ERB and DEC assured of their commitment to sustained joint operations with law enforcement to dismantle illegal fuel networks and protect the integrity of Zambia’s petroleum sector.

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