Police on the Copperbelt have arrested five criminals suspected to be behind recent robberies and thefts recorded in the Province.
Copperbelt acting Police Commissioner Tresford Kasale said the five suspected criminals include two Zambian nationals of Lusaka and three foreigners whose countries of origin are yet to be confirmed.
Mr. Kasale said the five were intercepted at Michael Chilufya Sata Toll Plaza in Ndola en route to Lusaka on Monday after a tip-off from the public.
The suspects, who were in a car registration number AAD 2489, carried several stolen items among them laptop computers, television sets, radio sets, mobile phones, clothes, shoes and money among other items that have been recovered by Police.
Mr. Kasale said Police suspects that the recovered items were stolen from Kitwe’s Riverside, Parklands, and Bulangililo Townships where people complained of break-ins.
“I would like to confirm that Kitwe Police had intercepted five criminals who were using this car AAD 2489. These criminals were en route to Lusaka and after intercepting them we searched the vehicle and found a number of stolen items some of them are those things you are seeing there which were stolen from Riverside, Parklands and other surrounding areas. So what I can say is these five criminals are in police cells, two are Zambian nationals and are Lusaka based while three are foreigners and we are yet to identify their origin through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said in Kitwe.
Mr. Kasale narrated to journalists at Kitwe District Police Headquarters how the five suspects were nabbed.
“Actually after we received the information we started pursuing them and in the process they were intercepted at the toll gate (Michael Chilufya Sata). So all that we can give credit to the informers because if they didn’t inform us these criminals would have escaped or would have gone to another town and started breaking,” he said.
Mr. Kasale said the five suspects have been linked to criminal activities reported in some parts of Kitwe City recently.
“All what I can say investigations are continuing and we are looking forward to ensure that we reach to all criminals and bring them to book and at the same time I would like to appeal to the general public that let’s work together to ensure that we pacify our city, we pacify our province and ensure that confidence in the service is restored. Of late we had a number of break-ins in Riverside, Bulangililo, Parklands and these were the same people who were doing that. We are yet to investigate further but as I stated earlier on, looking at the number of offences which are investigating we may link them to that. The call on our police officers, we are saying we should not rest,” Mr. Kasale said.
Mr. Kasale encouraged the general public to work with police in combating criminal activities on the Copperbelt.
He pledged that Police are continuing with foot and motorized patrols to fight crime.
“We have to ensure that we intensify foot patrols and motorized patrols and ensure that we work with the community because without community we cannot achieve anything and let me also commend the informers who gave us information about these arrests that we have just made. Please continue to work with the Police and we are there to ensure that we protect you,” Mr. Kasale said.
The likelihood that there are Zimbabweans among these is high. That’s the price u pay for living next to a country experiencing economic collapse. Which brings in the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Police you are useless up to now the guys who killed that businessman for K9000 not yet arrested.
Vote them as MPs like UPND are doing in Kabwata.