The Drug Enforcement Commission through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit in collaboration with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has arrested three Zambians and one Chinese national for money laundering involving over K5 million.
The Commission has formally jointly charged and arrested Mary Maimba, a Human Resource Manager, female aged 32 of House No 7, Mupeta Close, Chelstone Green, Geoffrey Sichiweza, male aged 29 of House No. 35/10 Kaunda Square Stage 1, Raymond Muluti, a Translator, male aged 22 of Kamwala South and Gu Zhaofei, a Quality Controller, male aged 35 of Northmead for Accessing an Electronic Communications Network or Electronic Communication Service contrary to section 77 (2) (d) of the Information and Communications Technologies Act No. 15 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia and Money Laundering contrary to section 7 of the Prohibition and Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 14 of 2001 as amended by Act No. 44 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the matter are that Mary Maimba jointly and whilst acting together with Geoffrey Sichiweza, Raymond Muluti, Gu Zhaofei and other persons unknown, on dates unknown but between 1st November 2022 and 6th March 2023 fraudulently accessed the electronic communication network of a known mobile service provider by employing/deploying unlicensed/unauthorized sim boxes and managed to terminate international calls coming into Zambia, causing them to be treated and charged as local calls, thereby gaining financially through the difference.
Further, the suspects were found in possession of four newly acquired and imported sim box machines. This illegal business was disguised by purporting that they were operating a money lending business named Vansiho Money Lending.
The bank account of Vansiho has been frozen with a balance of K5, 360, 288.93 suspected of being proceeds of crime.
The four are on bond and will appear in court soon.
