Police in Mwinilunga District in North Western Province have arrested Seven people who were found in possession of Six bags of Gold Samples, weighing 220 Kgs with an estimated value of K60, 000.
Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo says on 10th May, 2020 between 01 00 hours and 0200 hours, Police carried out an operation at Kasenseli Gold Mining where they impounded a Toyota Fortuner Registration number DBC 78, white in colour, with Seven people on board.
Mrs Katongo says the seven had in their possession Six bags of Gold Samples and 2 Metal detector machines.
She explained that the seven have been jointly charged for the offence of theft and appeared in court on 12 May where they pleaded not guilty.
Mrs Katongo said the seven have since been granted bail.
President Edgar Lungu recently terminated the contract of Commissioner of Police at the Zambia Police Headquarters, Hudson Namachila who was moved from Northwestern Province as Police Commissioner for his failure to secure gold.
His dismissal came after the Head of State expressed disappointment and said it was justifiably so, that the police command in North-Western Province had failed to secure gold reserves.
President Lungu said it was regrettable that people have continued to mine precious minerals such as Gold illegally despite the minerals being strategic to national development.
This evidence will never see a courtroom
Is that the real value of 220kg of gold?
Its hunger which is causing people to steal
This must be very low quality gold.
Maybe the police have cooked the figures.
Anyway this gold will be gladly received by the usual thieving politicians.
For a country blessed with gold, copper, wildlife, etc. etc., we have nothing to show for it. We keep begging and our people are still suffering.
Only the minority, PF leaders and their cadres, are benefitting from our wealth. They even chew public money.
Let us get rid of these thieves please.
Always catching the ‘small’ thieves n letting the ‘big’ ones free . Have you now found the owner of the 48 houses? Why is that Police is only effective for the poor people…,ummm!
Awe mukwai ba lipota naba Kapokola mwabepa. 220kg of gold will fetch US $12.5 Million in Zedian Kwacha that should be 250 Million Kwacha
Our gold is really cheap
Totally undervalued this gold. Probably 220g.
Gold samples, not finished gold metal. Samples maybe of very low grade thus the low estimated value.
Where is the report from PF officials who went to investigate two weeks ago. I wondered how a thief can investigate himself? Anyway as president Bally moves in next year, we know that there are several gold mine assets to work on for the betterment of Zambian people. We need to put serious mechanism to ensuring that this gold benefits all people not the party in power. Bally will fix it! PF must go!
Thank you our men and women in uniform for apprehending these hyenas. May the stiff arm of the law be effected on them. Am sure digging dipper will reveal these are upnd delinquents
But it is acceptable and alright for a foreign investor to come and cleverly steal the gold resources we have and enrich their countries whilst they leaving toxic substances and huge holes here in Zambia. I really wonder, so who do you want to give that gold site to? North western province people need to wake up fast.
I thought the number of illegal activities in mining should have opened the eyes of the government to see that the local people have the thirst to do the job but govt ain’t providing the right tools to encourage the mining to be legal. The more govt pushes it’s own people out in favor of foreigners the more it’s people are further pushed into poverty and resorting to even more illegal activities to get what govt is denying them. The mentality that only foreigners can do the job is really demeaning the potential of the zambian people. When will Zambia turn from an extraction zone to a trading zone? Do you want the zambian people to start fighting for another independence which is economic liberation? We subject zambians to getting petty jobs that will end once the white man extracts all…
So I cant even get samples from my farm. I have not yet read the minerals act
Excuse me KZ! Is it not PF that went to investigate the matter being carried out by PF? And every one is saying, “How can you send a thief to investigate oneself?”
How then do you bring in UPND?
Because you are involved.