Drug Enforcement Commission confirms seizure of $5 million, gold, guns, ammunition at KKIA

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has confirmed seizing two private jets laden with millions of United States Dollars, gold and ammunitions at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA).

DEC Director General, Nason Banda, said over US$5million, five pistols, seven magazines, 126 round of ammunition, 602 pieces of suspected gold weighing 127.2kilogrammes and equipment used for measuring gold have been seized.

Addressing journalists in Lusaka on Tuesday, Banda said the Bank of Zambia had taken into safe custody over US$5million while the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development had also taken into custody the sized gold for verification.

He said the Commission had detained 10 persons, which included six Egyptians, Spanish, Dutch, Navishani and a Zambian national.

Banda said the number of suspects was likely to increase.

“The Drug Enforcement Commission received information that a chartered aircraft carrying dangerous goods had landed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on August 13, 2023 at 19:00 hours,” Banda said.

He said acting on this information the DEC together with officers from various law enforcement agencies conducted an operation on Monday, August 14, 2023 at KKI Airport.

“The operation resulted in a seizure of the following items: US$5, 697,700, five pistols, seven magazines,126 rounds ammunition ,602 pieces of suspected Gold weighing 127.2 kg and equipment used for measuring gold,” Banda said.

He added that the Commission had since seized the Global Express T7-WW on which the items were found and another aircraft belonging to a local airline whose make is King Air B190.

Banda said the ten suspects had been detained awaiting further investigations.

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