The daring thieves were, however, over-powered by police, who arrested five of them.
According to Copperbelt police commissioner Charity Katanga, police pounced on the thieves around 01:00 hours, acting on a tip-off.
Mrs Katanga said the copper thieves were transported to the mine in a truck.
She named those arrested as James Chibwe, 27, Leonard Kabalika, 28, and Percy Luwi, aged 31.
Also arrested are two minors, both aged 16.
The five have been charged with criminal trespass and theft.
Police recovered much of the stolen items.
Mrs Katanga said among the items stolen from the mine, which is run by Konkola Copper Mine, were bags of copper concentrate and scrap metal, which were hidden under tree branches.
The value of the stolen items is yet to be determined, but a source at the mine said it could probably run into millions of dollars.
And Mrs Katanga said the invasion by the copper thieves is “more than meets the eye”.
She said the crime bears the hallmark of organisation crime.
“I’m gravely concerned because this seems to be very organised,” she said.
Mrs Katanga also suspects a syndicate is at the centre of the criminal activities.
Following yesterday’s incident, police have deployed over 20 personnel to beef up the security provided by the mining company.
The mine police was reportedly out-numbered by the thieves.
And a source at the mine said yesterday’s invasion by the jerabos was the second one, following another invasion which happened last Wednesday.
The source also revealed that the thieves chased away night-shift workers before breaking into a store room, where they stole motors.
The source said the thieves have taken advantage of the vastness of the mine, which makes policing difficult.
Nchanga Mine, which covers about 30 square kilometres, is the second largest open-cast mine in the world.
What do you expect anyway
What govt should do is legalize the Jerabos. These guys even though regarded as bad people by society I fully support them. These guys have sold copper and the money has been spent in the Copperbelt. Most of these guys have built houses, shops and car parks. And employed some people too. So bwana govt instead of demonizing our own people, let us legalize them and they pay taxes. Unlike legalizing foreigners let us promote zambians.
If a tonne of copper costs $5,000, the jerabos should have stolen at least 200 tonnes, to get a million dollars. KCM does not leave such copper hanging around its mines. Moreover, what was stolen is either ores or concentrate which has less copper in it. Can you see why this report is just crap on the value of stolen copper? How much can 50 thieves carry, even Bemba thieves? Definitely not hundreds of tonnes of copper.
They chased them from street vending.
Jerabos should dip there own Open Pit. Let government sponsor them.
THERE ARE NO CONCENTRATES AT THE OPEN PIT BUT MOST LIKELY OXIDE COPPER WHICH IS FAVOURED BY CHINESE BUYERS.
THE PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT COULD BE EASED IF ALL THE MANY MANY CHINESE DOING WORK WHICH ZAMBIANS CAN DO WERE REPATRIATED NOW!!!!! WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
House fly you have some really warped thinking going on there. Does Nchanga open pit not create employment? Does the mine at its employees not pay tax? So the Jerabos, when they steal the copper and sell it, on what basis do you think they can possibly declare revenue and be taxed? You say they have build houses, shops and car parks (I don’t understand why you think this is even important). The mine employees and mine suppliers who legitimately generate income from salaries and as mine suppliers (hence also pay tax), do they no build houses and shops too? Condoning lawlessness of the Jerabos is a recipe for disaster has soon they will turn their focus on other industries and business other than the mines. You might think it is okay now because the mines are foreign owned…wait until…
House fly has never heard about Pablo Escobar, illegal businesses don’t add value to a nation, at one time in 80s Pablo was regarded as the richest guy, but what has Colombia benefited from his illegal business, absolutely nothing.
House fly just like your name, read the article first.Legalise the jerobos, really? This are lazy criminals. Legalize them to mine what? They steal from a stockpile.They also steal mill balls used in the concentrator as sale the expensive chromium mill balls as scrap.They are becoming more daring than before. A friend told me that they even stole an energized cable. Cut it off and bolted.Housefly where is the legality in that koswe owe.
Those are PF caders. That is what PF stands for, anarchy and rule by caders. Even their leaders call for taking over markets and bus stops from councils.
Land invasions and soon they will be invading shops and other private properties , all sanctioned from the highest levels of PF.
If left unchecked they will start taking on the police and military, and housefly thinks their illegal business is normal.
These guys were told by UPND that we had to find a way of legalizing their business so that they become part of the legal economy and contribute to the national treasury.
Maybe someone lied to them that they will be given the black mountain, when another organization had already claimed legal ownership to same.
Kwena ba House fly mulibakopo. You are a house fly.
Just which decent and right thinking person calls him or herself house fly. I have no further comments.
Jerabos will be beyond ZP control soonest, if left unchecked.
These are frustrated pf cadres who feel left out after all those lies by pf during elections. We warned you. This is now a civil war waiting waiting to happen
@ NEZ AND @ BUCK TEETH ..AND @ JAY JAY AND ALL RESIDENT TRIBALISTS ON LT
YOU ARE PATHETIC.
YOUR HATRED WILL SEND YOU TO EARLY GRAVES STILL GNASHING YOUR TEETH BECAUSE HH WILL ONLY RULE IN YOUR DREAMS!!!
Before the one million jobs come through, there will be a lot of these things I hear 2 jobs have already been created, one is minister of infrastructure and something and the other is minister of religious affairs, therefore 999,998 jobs to go.
the hallmark of organisation crime.
Do they have editors these internet news publishers?
Comment:I have taken time to read through your comments and like alwez pointing fingers never offering solutions,we as a country have a lot of working to do here,I wouldn’t blame the jerabo if anything wat they do is not stealing BT benefiting from there land something our government does not grant us as citizens by government I do not mean Pf but whole the government s we’ve had except our father unip government,what these foreigners leave is peanut compared to wat they do take out to there home land so who are you to call the intelligent jerabos dull,lazy and all lazy are you people for not taking time to go through statistics and really calculate how much these called investors take out and how much is left in terms of salaries and taxes the difference is grant,until we have a…
Are these not the same people who were welcoming Lungu and contributing to his campaign? they are simply rewarding themselves since his meet in state house has failled to do so.Soon the police officer who enginered the operation will be on the chopping board
These boys of Kambwili. Everyone knows how Kambwili represented government at the funeral of the group’s leader last year.
People raised in the village think very poorly.All people on Copperbelt who speak Bemba are Bemba’s!! Liswanisos,Lungu,Mwaanga raised on the Copperbelt speak Bemba.There nobody cares what tribe you come from.
Secondly to some people’s thinking, there are no Lozi and Tonga’s jailed in Zambia for theft, only Bemba’s, how foolish…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(except Tonga’s and Lozi’s).Romans:6:23 NTV(New Tribalist Version)
we will experience all this because of black mountain in Ktw, so COPALA be Read always.
UPNDonkeys planning big, isn’t that wgat we told?
And the motive? To plant frustration in the Copperbelt in the mistaken belief that people will rise against government. Sorry guys we real 50%+1 Zambians will only “rise” again in 2021, our business for today until 2021 was finished on 11th August 2016.
How do you know that it is that opposition party that organised the jerabos to invade Nchanga Open Pit? Why don’t PF just take ownership of the mess in its so-called stronghold?
Everyone should listen TERRIBLE has spoken with his usual oratory skills… Confess Terrible you really are a POLITICIAN in waiting because of your constant reference to2021… but this is about jerobos stealing. Can we hear from you addressing the article.
Don’t politicise anarchy. Those were thugs at work.