Zambian, 2 Congolese  nabbed for mealie meal smuggling

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 12:20:50 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

POLICE in Mwinilunga have arrested a Zambian and two Congolese nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle 119 by 25 kilogram bags of mealie meal into DR Congo via the Kambimba border post.

North Western Province Commissioner of Police, Auxensio Daka, who confirmed the incident in an interview with ZANIS in Mwinilunga yesterday identified the culprits as Elliot Ndeki, 27, a Zambian and Lutumba Mudikolela, 32, and Mbikayi, 40, both of Lubumbashi.

Mr Daka said police have since impounded the Canter truck which was being driven by Ndeki belonging to a named teacher which was found 100 kilometres away from the border recently.

The trio has since been charged with attempted smuggling contrary to Section 147 Cap 335 of the Customs and Excise Act and will appear in court soon.

In a related development, police have also recovered 10 x 50 kilogram bags of maize out of 200 bags from a truck which was involved in a road traffic accident, 25 km from the Kambimba border.

Mr Daka said another truck was used to ferry maize across the border and only 10 bags were recovered, adding that no arrest was made as the culprits fled into DR Congo.