Truck drivers nabbed over Copper theft

TWO truck drivers have been arrested by the Police on the Copperbelt for allegedly attempting to steal copper which they were entrusted with.

This is in a matter in which one of the suspects reported that criminals had hijacked a truck laden with copper blisters which he was driving after it had a tyre burst, when not.

According to police spokesperson Esther Katongo, the suspects allegedly connived with other persons to sell the copper and later claimed that criminals had hijacked the trucks.

Ms Katongo said the incident occurred between September 4, at 17: 00 hours and September 5, around t 04:00 hours.

“The complainant aged 30, who is a driver of Tanzanian origin, whose names we have withheld, purported that he was attacked by four criminals as he was coming from Congo via Nakonde border proceeding to Tanzania with a truck laden with Copper blisters and that when he passed through the Kalulushi Toll gate along Sabina Road , he had a tyre burst and that it was at that point when criminals hijacked the truck after tying him to a tree in a nearby bush but managed to untie himself the following morning and reported the matter to police,” she narrated.

Ms Katongo said when Police officers followed up the matter, they managed to recover the truck from the bush near magazine dumpsite and the 30 blisters of copper were not in any way tampered with and it was further established that there was no indication of a tyre burst as alleged by the complainant.

She said further investigations have revealed that the complainant was not the actual driver of the truck hence police have managed to apprehend the actual driver from Kasumbalesa border.

She said in a statement that the suspects were in police custody and would appear in court soon.

Police have observed through investigations that most reports on copper thefts from trucks turn out to be connivance involving people entrusted with the goods, Ms Katongo said.