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Police in Lusaka have thwarted a suspected human trafficking case by rescuing five women from Mongu who were found abandoned after being locked up inside a fenced building in Chalala.
Police Spokesperson, Godfrey Chilabi, said the victims have since been taken to a safe house in Lusaka, where they are receiving support as investigations continue.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Chilabi said no arrests had been made yet, but efforts to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice were underway.
According to police, Mongu Central Police Station received a report of human trafficking and unlawful confinement on November 22, 2025, at 15:00 hours, involving four young women allegedly lured from Mongu to Lusaka under false pretences.
The report was filed by a relative of one of the victims.
The complaint indicated that his sister, aged 22, together with three other females aged 18, 22 and 25, all from Mongu, had been unlawfully confined by an unknown individual in Lusaka.
Preliminary investigations show that in November 2025, the first victim began interacting via Facebook with an individual using a mobile number registered under a name currently being withheld to avoid jeopardising ongoing investigations.
“The suspect introduced himself as a resident of Lusaka and offered to secure employment for her as a housemaid within the city,” Chilabi said.
He added that the victim later involved her three friends, who also accepted the purported job offer.
Chilabi said the suspect subsequently sent transport money, and on November 21, 2025, the four women travelled from Mongu to Lusaka aboard a public service bus, arriving around 12:00 hours.
“Upon arrival, the suspect received them and took them to a named premises in Lusaka, where he reportedly confiscated their National Registration Cards, locked them inside a fenced building, and abandoned them,” he said.
Chilabi confirmed that through swift coordination between Mongu Central Police, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and Lusaka Division CID, all four victims—together with an additional female—were rescued from the confinement site in Chalala.
He cautioned members of the public, especially young women and job seekers, to be wary of online job offers and social media recruitment schemes that appear too good to be true, warning that criminals continue to exploit unsuspecting citizens through fraudulent employment promises.
“The Zambia Police remains committed to combating all forms of exploitation, including human trafficking, and ensuring that perpetrators face the full force of the law. Further updates will be provided as investigations progress,” he said.
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