
TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR THEFT OF ZESCO CABLES
Two suspects involved in the theft of ZESCO cables were arrested in Kitwe by a combined team of Zambia Police, ZESCO security and their colleagues from Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC). The two suspects identified as 34-year old Alias Mbulo of Kitwes Chimwemwe township and Daka Mwewa of Buchi township were arrested for being in possession of suspected stolen ZESCO cables on Sunday 30th October 2022. A combined patrol team of Zambia Police, ZESCO security and Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) intercepted Mbulo along the Kitwe-Kalulushi road after noticing that the Motor vehicle he was driving, a Toyota Carina, Registration Number ACJ 6627 was evidently overloaded and struggling to move. Upon stopping and searching the vehicle, the officers discovered cables reasonably suspected to have been obtained from vandalized electricity installations. Four suspects bolted from the scene upon seeing the police officers, abandoning Mbulo who was driving the car. The vehicle was impounded while Mbulo was arrested and detained at Kitwe Central Police station. Later, Mbulo led the combined security team to the residence of Daka Mwewa aged 25 of Buchi township. Daka Mwewa is one of the four suspects that fled from the vehicle which was impounded by the police. After interrogations, the suspect led ZESCO security team to substation CBD 0201 in First Kwacha township, where they had cut and stolen 50 millimeter square x 1 single core x 15m ZESCO cables. The value of the stolen cables is Thirty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Four Kwacha Eight-Eight ngwee., (K32,734.88). Materials worth Ten Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Kwacha and Twenty-Ngwee (K10,880.20) were recovered. A criminal case has been instituted against the two suspects who are currently detained at Riverside Police station. The two suspects will appear in court soon. However, investigations will continue until the arrest of the remaining suspects. ZESCO will continue working with citizens to avert vandalism and theft of key electricity installation, a vice that costs the power utility millions of kwacha annually.