Friday, March 29, 2024

Police arrested 202 copper suspects last year – IG

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Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo has said the Police Service last year arrested a total of 202 suspected copper thieves and recovered stolen copper valued at K1.5 billion.

Mr. Mateyo said this was as a result of the creation of a special police wing aimed at curbing rampant copper thefts on the Copperbelt Province.

He said the wing was created to prevent, investigate and institute arrests of suspected copper thieves following rampant copper thefts in the province.

He said out of the 202 arrests of suspected copper thefts, 71 people were convicted, 51 were still pending, and 10 were acquitted while three cases were withdrawn from court.

Mr. Mateyo was speaking at Lilayi Superior Officers’ Mess during the 2007 delayed Superior Officers’ Annual Ball, which was graced by President Levy Mwanawasa.

Mr. Mateyo also disclosed that during 2007, the police service scored several achievements, one of which was the retraining of 300 middle management police officer.

He said these officers in turn transmitted the knowledge they acquired to their subordinate officers.

“This programme will continue and will be extended to sergeants, sub-inspectors and eventually to top management” he said.

He said some officers were performing poorly in their duties because of lack of in-service training in the police service, hence the introduction of the retraining programme.

He added that 19 police officers from the Southern African Community Development (SADC) member countries were also trained in November last year.

Mr. Mateyo also said police officers serving in peace keeping missions abroad were performing well.

He said the service would continue providing officers for such missions once called upon.

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