Police nab 2 criminals in connection with Chisamba incident

Police in Lusaka have arrested two dangerous criminals in connection with the incident that happened in Chisamba in which officers shot dead five criminals after the latter attempted to escape from a police vehicle that was ferrying them to Lusaka.

Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Joyce Kasosa said the two criminals were suspected to have been working with the five that were shot dead three weeks ago.

Ms. Kasosa told ZANIS yesterday that the two were arrested in Lusaka to help police with investigating motor vehicle thefts that have hit the country in the recent past.

She explained that last month, five suspects were shot dead on their way to Lusaka from the Copperbelt when suspected criminals opened fire at the police in an attempt to free their colleagues.

Ms. Kasosa said the two that have been arrested bring to six, the number of suspected criminals connected to the theft of two Toyota Hilux vehicles registration number ABK 8092 belonging the National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) and COM 208 CD belonging to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

She said two other unregistered vehicles including a Toyota Corolla and a Fan Cargo were part of the motor vehicles to which the two suspected criminals were connected.

She stated that the five, who were shot dead in Chisamba, included three criminals that were apprehended in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the theft of the said Toyota Hilux vehicles and proceeded to the Copperbelt where they were involved in yet another operation.

Ms. Kasosa said the trio led to the arrest of two more criminals they had engaged in the theft of two unregistered vehicle including a Toyota Corolla and a Fan Cargo.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kasosa said police were still investigating a matter in which criminals robbed a Lusaka businessman of an undisclosed sum of money after they fired gun shots at Manda Hill Police Post last month.

She said no arrests have been made so far.
And acting Police Public Relations Officer Charity Munganga said police were still investigating the cyber crime scam involving thefts of money from automated teller machines (ATMs) in Zambia.

Ms. Munganga said no suspects have been arrested so far but noted that police were training Criminal Investigations Officers in cyber crime investigations in order to curb the recent ATM crimes.

She said police have since carried out a number of sensitization programmes both on public and private radio and television stations to alert the public about the issue.

She added that police will also disseminate information on cyber crime awareness at the forthcoming trade fair in Ndola.

Ms. Munganga has therefore urged members of the public to visit the police stand and learn more on how they can be protected against cyber crimes.

Last week, police unearthed a scam in which three foreign nationals had engaged in the recruitment and training of Zambians in cyber crime targeting ATMs.

ZANIS