Police in Kitwe have unearthed a scam where a named company is in possession of huge piles of Copper cables and electrical installations for ZESCO, Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC) and Nkana Water and sanitation company.
Virgin Company, located along Prescott road in the industrial area also runs a smelter where it smelts suspected stolen copper materials into copper blisters.
Police have since sealed the company premises until investigations are concluded.
This came to light today when the police accompanied by Kitwe District Commissioner Lawrence Mwanza conducted an impromptu search at the company premises along with officers from ZESCO and CEC who identified their company properties.
Notable items among those found were ZESCO power transformers and several power conductors among other items.
And Kitwe District Commissioner Lawrence Mwanza charged that the law will take its course on the matter.
Mr Mwanza said the district has been experiencing power and water supply challenges due to vandalism of water and electrical installations.
He was disappointed that some water and electrical installation parts that have been stolen from both ZESCO and Nkana Water have been identified at the company.
“I cannot say much because the investigation is on-going but we can see all the things that have been missing at Nkana Water and ZESCO, such as transformers and wire cuttings, there is no market where you can buy those small cables for transformers, and not long ago a power transformer that feeds Kitwe West was taken away and I can see some parts, so we will let the investigation process to be concluded, but I wish to warn our people to refrain from criminal activities otherwise they will face the wrath of the law,” he said.
He charged that his office and the police will not rest until the culprits are brought to book.
And ZESCO North Chief Security Officer Frazier Mulebwente confirmed identifying a lot of service cables including transformers among them a new one with ZESCO Serial numbers.
“There are a lot of service cables of different sized cables, hammered cables of different sizes, some are 35 millimeters, 70 millimeters, 185milimeters and 500 by single core millimeters, all those we have found them, they are here, we have also found transformer parts, oil and full transformers with one having ZESCO serial numbers, when we establish all these things we shall follow the law,” he charged.
And Copperbelt Police Commissioner Peacewell Mweemba confirmed the operation but could not give further details.
