Over 600 bags of mealie meal suspected to be destined for smuggling to neighboring DR Congo have been impounded by Police in Ndola over the past two days.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba disclosed that the first batch of mealie meal containing 400 by 25 KG bags branded Diamond Milling was confiscated on 27th March in the Masala Industrial area.
201 by 255 KG more bags of mealie meal branded as Diamond Milling as well were impounded in Chiwala area by the anti smuggling team of the Zambia Police Service.
Mr. Mweemba said in the Chiwala case the driver together with the other two occupants fled away from the vehicle and abandoned it after noticing that police were following them.
“The truck was intercepted by the team, and after seeing the vehicle for patrols, the driver, together with the other two occupants, ran away from the vehicle, leaving it abandoned. The truck was searched, and an unknown number of Diamond bags of mealie meal were found loaded in the truck. The truck was later escorted to Ndola district police HQ. The counting of the bags of mealie meal was done on 28.03.23 and 201 bags by 25kgs were found. The same will be disposed of through the court while a manhunt has been launched for the driver since the owner of the motor vehicle has already been identified through details obtained from Rtsa,” Mr. Mweemba said.
In the Masala Industrial area case, Mweemba said two suspects have been detained over the matter involving 25 KG bags of mealie meal branded Diamond Milling.
In a media statement, Mr. Mweemba said police have since launched investigations into the matter to establish whether or not the mealie meal was to be smuggled.
“Assembling for the purpose of smuggling occurred on 27/03/23 between 1330 and 1430 hrs at Miami garage Masala industrial area Ndola in which Police at Masala Station received information through an informant that there was a blue Scania light truck Reg No. AJE 3655 loaded with a mealie meal suspected to be heading to DRC. Acting on the said information, police moved in and have since managed to impound the truck, which was found loaded with about 400 bags of diamond mealie meal. The truck was driven by male Boyd Simukonda, aged 58 of plot No 64 Mukulungwe area Ndola. Brief facts of the matter are that on 27/03/23 between 1330hrs and 1430 hours officers at Masala police station received information from an informant and to that effect officers went to Masala Industrial area and managed to impound the vehicle and upon searching the vehicle, they found about 400 by 25 bags of breakfast diamond mealie meal,” Mr. Mweemba narrated.
However,the two suspects claimed the mealie meal was headed for Kawama Compound Ndola at CK enterprises.
In the last two months alone, Police in Ndola and Mufulira have impounded over 3000 bags of mealie meal suspected to be destined for smuggling to DR Congo.
‘…Mr. Mweemba said police have since launched investigations into the matter to establish whether or not the mealie meal was to be smuggled…”
Arrest and investigate. Suppose I plan to sell 1000 bags of mealie meal to Ndola, will my trucks be impounded? How do they prove intent to smuggle? And also, isn’t it now legal to export maize?