Police foil attempted theft of Zinc Oxide worth over $45,000; seven arrested in Lusaka

Police in Lusaka have foiled attempted theft of Zinc Oxide worth US$ 45,521.32 and arrested seven suspects who include four Chinese Nationals and three Zambians.

The said Zinc Oxide was in transit from STL Mine Ville in Lubumbashi Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and was destined for Trafigura Asia Trading Pte Limited based in Singapore, with the cargo expected to exit the region via the Dar es Salaam corridor in Tanzania.

Zambia Police Service Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed the arrest of the four Chinese Nationals and three Zambians in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday.

The alert was triggered when monitoring systems revealed that the truck a Scania bearing registration T731 ASM carrying the high-value cargo had deviated from its designated route.

GPS tracking showed that the vehicle had been diverted and was unlawfully being offloaded into the premises of Jesum Industry Company yard, raising immediate suspicion.

Police Officers promptly moved in and conducted a raid at the said location, resulting in the apprehension of seven suspects, namely four Chinese nationals, three Zambian nationals.

“All suspects are currently in police custody and are assisting with ongoing investigations. The truck and its contents have since been secured by police as evidence,” Hamoonga said.

He assured that the Zambia Police Service would continue to work tirelessly in collaboration with security partners and stakeholders in the supply chain industry to combat transnational crimes such as cargo theft, which have far-reaching economic consequences.

Hamoonga also commended the alert systems and quick coordination that led to the successful interception of the criminal activity.

“Further updates will be provided as investigations progress,” he said.

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