By CAROLINE KALOMBE AND NANCY SIAME
THREE criminals have been gunned down in Lusaka’s Chunga township after a heavy exchange of gunfire with the police.
The three criminals were in a group of armed robbers who were staging a robbery in Barlastone Park. Other criminals escaped.
Zambia Police Service public relations officer Charity Chanda said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that the incident happened on Thursday evening around 20:00 hours.
Mrs Chanda said police moved in after a tip off from members of the public about a robbery that was taking place in Barlastone Park.
“After noticing the presence of the police, the criminals started firing, prompting the officers to fire back, gunning down three in the process while others escaped. A pump action type of firearm with 16 rounds of ammunition was recovered from the scene,” Mrs Chanda said
The bodies are lying in University Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting identification and post mortem.
And Police on the Copperbelt have recovered property worth thousands of kwacha, suspected to have been stolen.
Copperbelt commissioner of police Joyce Kasosa said the property recovered was connected to John Chibelushi, the armed robber who was shot dead in Mkushi on Monday after an exchange of fire with the police in which two other officers were injured.
Ms Kasosa said most of the property which is suspected to have been stolen from Central Province was recovered from Chingola on Tuesday.
The police said among the things recovered are a Nissan X-trail registration number ABZ 1, red in colour.
Ms Kasosa named other things also recovered as five different types of firearms, five cell phones, 12 cell phone batteries and five small bags.
“A passport for Chabala Chileshe and a driver’s licence for Lukonde Brian Mulenga were also recovered,” Ms Kasosa said.
She said several sim cards and memory cards were also among the many recovered items.
Ms Kasosa said the items were recovered at house number B40 Soweto compound, from Steven Mulanda, 48, the brother-in-law of the deceased.
“The funeral was being held at Mulanda’s house and that is where all these items were recovered,” Ms Kasosa said.
She appealed to members of the public who could have lost any of the items to report to the police so that they can recover their property.
And the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has arrested five suspects for illegal entry into the Kafue National Park and for being in possession of copper ore suspected to have been stolen from the Old Hippo Mine in Kafue National Park.
According to a press release issued in Lusaka yesterday by ZAWA public relations officer Mwila Muliyunda, the suspects are Simon Mbewe of Lusaka’s Chelston area who was arrested on Monday in Mumbwa and is jointly charged with Bornface Kabunda, Christopher Kaliboi and Trust Mukata, a driver and John Beta, all Mumbwa residents.
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