Africa-Press – Zambia. Police in Ndola have impounded over 1000 bags of 25 kg breakfast mealie meal destined for smuggling to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Copperbelt Province Police commanding officer Peacewell Mweemba said the mealie meal was found packed in two tipper trucks at a massamy garage owned by Baldwin Muhammad a Somalian national.
“Facts are that on Friday august 11 2023 around 04:00hours the anti-smuggling task force received information from concerned members of the public that there were two tipper trucks suspected to be laden with mealie meal meant to be smuggled into the neighbouring Congo DR,” Mr Mweemba said.
He said no drivers were found at the scene except the security guard and efforts to get in touch with the garage owner proved futile as the phone went unanswered.
Mr Mweemba said some officers were left to safeguard the garage as the Police was working on establishing the owner of the trucks. Meanwhile a team from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have arrested Mr Muhammad for trying to bribe police officers to leave his garage.
Mr Mweemba confirmed that Mr Muhammed enticed the police officers who were safeguarding the mealie meal at the garage with a sum of K20, 000 per truck.
He said the suspect produced a 15,000 Kwacha as part payment and further promised that the rest of the money was going to be given to the officers later on.
“One of the anti-smuggling team, Inspector Reagan Chibuye, in the presence of others, declined to accept the bribe and he reported the same to the command.
Ndola district police command led by the officer commanding Ndola moved to the garage where Inspector Chibuye surrendered the money accompanied with a note where one of the workers for Mr Muhammad had signed acknowledging having given the said money as bribe for the release of the two trucks laden with mealie meal,” He explained.
He explained that efforts have been made to find means of moving the two trucks to the police and further questioned Mr Muhammad regarding the possession of suspected mealie meal which was assembled for the purpose of smuggling.
Mr Mweemba added that police managed to transport mealie meal from the two Volvo trucks to the Correctional facility trucks and the same was delivered at Kansenshi Police Station where it is being kept as the police set up plans to interrogate the claimant of the mealie meal.
He further added that 1467 × 25kgs bags of mealie meal is what was moved from the trucks to Kansenshi police station while efforts are being made to move the broken-down trucks to the police station.
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