Cops nab Congolese for child trafficking

18 November 2010
Cops nab Congolese for child trafficking
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Thu 18 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT [368 Reads, 0 Comment(s)] Text size Print


POLICE in Chililabombwe are holding a Congolese national for attempting to traffick 11 children between the ages of two and 11 out of Zambia.

Both Chililabombwe district commissioner Timothy Musonda and Copperbelt police commanding officer Dr Martin Malama confirmed the incident in separate interviews on Tuesday.

Musonda said the suspect, Lolo Mashini Lombe, was intercepted together with the children at Kasumbalesa Border Post on Monday.

“Yesterday Monday, 11 children were intercepted at Kasumbalesa . There were six boys and five girls,” Musonda narrated.

He said authorities suspected that Lombe wanted to take the children to South Africa.
Musonda further explained that upon being intercepted by police and immigration officers, Lombe claimed that the children’s parents were in Chiwempala township in Chingola but that after going there to verify his claim, the officers did not find the parents in question.

“So they arrested him for human trafficking and he is currently in police custody,” said Musonda.
And Dr Malama explained that the suspect was found with children of between two and 11 years old.

He said the suspect is believed to have been working with three other people.
Dr Malama said police were investigating the matter and hoped to nab the other suspects.
But police sources indicated that Lombe intended to traffick the children to Canada.

The sources said Lombe had planned to use the Solwezi route through to Angola but was cornered in Chililabombwe.