By SILUMESI MALUMO
FOREIGN ERS who have been carrying out illegal gold mining at Kasenseli have been arrested and awaiting to appear in court, Mwinilunga District Commissioner Arnot Mapulanga has confirmed.
Mr Mapulanga added, however, that police officers who were conniving with the foreign nationals had fled the scene.
He said the foreigners were apprehended on Saturday by some residents who were alerted of illegal activities which had been taking place at Kasenseli.
Mr Mapulanga said in an interview yesterday that the foreigners were in police custody and awaiting to appear in court soon.
He said the area was lately flooded by foreign national who were stealing gold but this trend would be eradicated in the area.
He said the people in the area were alert and anyone found engaging in illegality would be arrested and dealt with accordingly.
“Our patriotic citizens went into the mine to arrest our police officers who are involved in illegalities but the officers escaped.
“The people moved in to stop officers whose job is to protect the resource on behalf of Zambia instead they are stealing gold. They only managed to apprehend foreign nationals who have been working with these police officers and as we speak right now they are in police custody,” Mr Mapulanga said.
He said that investigations had been instituted to know the actual police officers who were on the run and behind the illegality.
Mr Mapulanga said the gold had been confiscated and it was in his custody for safety.
“These police officers involved in illegality are tarnishing the good name of the government which employed them to guard the resource on behalf of this country,” he said.
Mr Mapulanga, however, said illegal activities had reduced after the ZCCM-IH moved in and started mining activities.
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