CYBERCRIMINALS FACE GOVT WRATH
AGOVERNEMNT initiative to rid the country of social media abusers has been launched.
Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba said that the recently created cyber crack squad had all the information on people with online presence who were abusing cyber space.
“Almost everyone who owns online presence that is critical and victimises people, they have that information now. Name a website, name a Facebook page where insults come from, the cyber squad know who is behind those things,” he said. Mr Mushimba, however, told the Daily Nation that the crack squad was just waiting for clearance from his office before picking up all abusers of social media countrywide.
The minister said he had not just been around to hear how the cyber crack squad was planning to carry out the nation wide ambush. He warned of mass arrests once a proper plan was agreed upon, saying that all perpetrators of cybercrime would be fished out. A few arrests had already been made but that the national ambush would include some big names and that culprits should be very worried with what was coming, he said.
“Some teacher was sentenced from the efforts of the squad. Enockson Banda has been sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. This is the gentleman we arrested last year for defaming the President. We still have three more sentencings to come up, but they have arrested scores of people that are behind bars just not the big names,” he said.
Mr Mushimba also said that there were a few legal innuendoes which the squad needed to navigate through and get clarity on before getting in high gear.
Meanwhile, Zambia police spokesperson Esther Katongo said the police would not leave the perpetrators scot-free as the matter was a serious crime.
Ms Katongo confirmed that investigations into a number of cyber related crimes were ongoing.
The cyber crack squad is made of ZICTA officers and those from various investigative wings.