Eight trucks with maize impounded

EIGHT trucks laden with over 3 000x50 kilogram bags of maize suspected to be stolen from Food Reserve Agency (FRA) Chambishi and Kasempa deports have been impounded by the joint operation of police in Chingola and Chambishi. The maize of which part was sold out at Kasumabelsa was in en-route to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Copperbelt police Chief Mary Tembo confirmed the interception to Times of Zambia. Ms Tembo said the first four trucks to be impounded stole maize from Chambishi FRA depot and the other four which were intercepted by Chingola police got maize Kasempa in North-Western province. She said the maize was diverted to Kasembalesa where police found the suspects selling the maize. She said among the first four trucks were Scania registration number ABF 4359, trailer number AAC 3917T laden with 102x50kg bags of maize driven by Saliya Mushili without fixed abode. The second truck was another Scania ACH 8527, trailer number ACH 7294T laden with 650x50kg bags of maize driven by Isaac Nyirenda. Hino ABR 1059 driven by Isaac Mulinda of Mubalanshi Township in Kapiri Mposhi with uncounted number of bags. The last truck to be impounded by the joint operation was the Fuso light truck owned by Chipo Phiri of 91 Luswashi Road of Chingola’s Chikola B laden with 117x50 bags of maize. Ms Tembo said all the trucks above were handed over to Chimbishi police where crime was suspected to be committed for investigations, detention and subsequently charging. She said last set of four trucks was impounded on Saturday night by police in Chingola. Ms Tembo said the two trucks were belonging to Satwant Transport Company of Lusaka. The duo were ABE 9403,trailer number 3817T driven by Patrick Banda 30, carrying 800x50kg bags of maize and ABC 5328, trailer number AAG 4693T driven by Francis Phiri of Lusaka laden with 400x50kg bags of maize. She said the two trucks believed to have diverted the maize from Kasempa were found offloading at Kasumbaleasa without supporting documents. Ms Tembo said the maize was suspected to be for John Nyondo, a Lusaka business executive raised in Chingola. She said the maize from Kasempa was offloaded and loaded en-route to Kasumbalesa at A Mr Ng’ombe’s yard in the industrial area of Chingola. With other truck Ms Tembo said it was unfortunately because of the 600 bags 350 had been sold out at the border. The eighth truck which was involved in accident at St. Dorothy area along Chingola-Solwezi road was laden with 250 bags of maize also destined for Kasumbalesa. Ms Tembo said in Chingola three people had been detained while one driver escaped the police dragnet and others were detained in Chambishi. She said police were suspecting the cartel to be an inside job but her office would probe further to establish every detail. In Another development police in Chililabombwe have arrested a 25-year-old-Congolese soldier who had escaped from Kasapo State prison in Lubumbashi. Ms Tembo identified the private officer as Chiswaka Chichi of Susitasya Township in Congo. She said the officer was suspected to have escaped with five other soldiers after the prison they were in was broken into. She said Chichi together with the officers was among the 1,000 inmates in Kasapo prison arrested for security reasons. Ms Tembo said Chichi was believed to have entered Zambia on January 1, 2012. She said after eluding Zambian security officers for some days he was finally pounced on by the patrolling mobile police officers in Chimfushi area. Ms Tembo said Chichi had been handed over to immigration department for investigations and deportation.