Five suspects were apprehended by police in Ndola on 25th April 2023 around 23:00 in the Zaffico-Chichele plantation for the subject offence of Assembling For The Purpose of Smuggling.
In a statement availed to Flava News, Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba discloses that the brief facts of the matter are that an army officer, Captain Banda whilst on duty doing motorised patrols on the subject date in Zaffico Kawama Plantation of Ndola, came across two container trucks laden with mealie-meal which were being escorted by four soldiers who were armed with guns and whose details are unknown.
The soldiers who escorted the trucks in question are reported to have been beaten by the patrol team led by the Captain but were not taken to Chifubu Police Station together with the two truck drivers and three men found on the vehicles.
Preliminary interviews conducted on the five suspects confirmed that they were under escort by the four soldiers, and their final destination was the Democratic Republic of Congo border and one of the suspects under warn and caution, confirmed to police that the soldiers were paid K10, 000 to escort them.
It is estimated that there are about 200 to 250 25 kilogram bags of mealie meal on the light truck and the Volvo truck has about 750 to 800 25 kilogram bags of mealie meal, but the true figure can only be ascertained after the bags on the trucks have been counted.
Mr. Mweemba reveals that the suspects will appear in court soon while the process of disposing of the mealie meal by the court is underway and he further discloses that his office is making efforts to have the four soldiers surrendered to the police so that the case can be handled conclusively.
