CENTRAL JOINT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (CJOC)
PRESS STATEMENT
(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
JOINT INTELLIGENCE-LED OPERATION IN KABULONGA, LUSAKA
AUGUST 19, 2026 — ON BEHALF OF THE CENTRAL JOINT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (CJOC) AND THE SERVICE CHIEFS, I WISH TO INFORM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ON AUGUST 14, 2026, AROUND 19:30 HOURS, A JOINT TASK FORCE TEAM FROM THE CENTRAL JOINT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, INCLUDING THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION, CONDUCTED AN INTELLIGENCE-LED OPERATION AT A NAMED PREMISES IN KABULONGA.
THE OPERATION FOLLOWED INTELLIGENCE GATHERED FOLLOWING THE RECOVERY OF THE 7.3 MILLION KWACHA FROM THE SECOND TASK FORCE OPERATION IN LUSAKA.
THE OPERATION FOLLOWED INTELLIGENCE CONCERNING ACTIVITIES BY INDIVIDUALS OF NATIONAL INTEREST SUSPECTED TO POSE A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY WINGS HAD BEEN MONITORING THESE ACTIVITIES SINCE NOVEMBER 2023.
UPON ARRIVAL AT THE RESIDENCE, THE JOINT TASK FORCE TEAM WAS WELCOMED WITH GUNFIRE AND RESISTANCE FROM UNKNOWN INDIVIDUALS, RESULTING IN THE TASK FORCE RETURNING FIRE. IN THE PROCESS ONE UNIDENTIFIED MALE PERSON WAS FATALLY WOUNDED, AND THE FIREARM WAS RECOVERED.
THE UNIDENTIFIED PERSON WAS IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD UPON ARRIVAL. FOLLOWING SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT A MISSING PERSON, EFFORTS WERE MADE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BODY MATCHED THAT OF MR. MUTOTWE KAFWAYA. THIS EVENING, FAMILY MEMBERS WERE CALLED AND HAVE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE DECEASED AS MR MUTOTWE KAFWAYA.
PERSONS APPREHENDED
A TOTAL OF ELEVEN (11) PERSONS WERE APPREHENDED AT THE PREMISES, AS EARLIER ANNOUNCED IN THE STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET. AMONG THE SUSPECTS WERE THREE EX-COMMANDOS WITH SPECIALISED SPECIAL FORCES SKILLS, PRESENTING A POTENTIAL NATIONAL SECURITY RISK, WITH CONNECTIONS TO HOSTILE GROUPINGS.
THESE INDIVIDUALS POSSESS EXTENSIVE MILITARY SKILLS AND WERE TRAINED AS SNIPERS AND IN MARKSMANSHIP WITH SMALL- AND HIGH-CALIBRE WEAPONS, HIJACKING AND ASSASSINATION SKILLS. THEY HAVE SPECIALISED SPECIAL FORCES TRAINING IN WEAPON PROFICIENCY AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AND ARE QUALIFIED IN COMMANDO TACTICS. THEY ALSO POSSESS SKILLS IN SPECIALISED MILITARY AND OPERATIONAL TECHNIQUES, AS WELL AS BEING HIGHLY TRAINED IN SURVIVAL, ESCAPE, RESISTANCE AND EVASION.
THEY POSSESS EXTENSIVE MILITARY EXPERIENCE ACQUIRED OVER APPROXIMATELY TWO DECADES OF SERVICE WITHIN ARMY SPECIAL FORCES. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE TWO RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE TRAINED IN WEAPON HANDLING AND FIELDCRAFT. ONE OF THEM SERVED WITH THE FLYING SQUAD (C5).
THE ELEVEN (11) PERSONS ARE BEING HELD IN CONNECTION WITH ALLEGED OFFENCES RELATING TO TREASON AND ANY OTHER OFFENCES THAT MAY BE ESTABLISHED DURING THE INVESTIGATIONS.
ALL SUSPECTS WILL BE DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, AND THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE CONNECTED TO THE ALLEGED OFFENCE WILL BE RELEASED.
ITEMS RECOVERED
DURING A SEARCH OF THE PREMISES, THE JOINT TASK FORCE TEAM RECOVERED VARIOUS ITEMS. THE RECOVERED ITEMS HAVE BEEN SECURED AND ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO FURTHER EXAMINATION AND INVESTIGATION.
1. FIREARMS, AMMUNITION AND RELATED EQUIPMENT
THE JOINT TASK FORCE TEAM RECOVERED HIGH-GRADE, RESTRICTED MILITARY-VERSION AUTOMATIC UZI WEAPONS, FIVE (5) AK 47 RIFLES WITH 60 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION AND ONE (1) ZASTAVA PISTOL, AMONG OTHERS.
OTHER ITEMS RECOVERED INCLUDED FOUR (4) BERETTA MAGAZINES, ONE (1) BULLETPROOF VEST, ONE (1) COMMANDO DAGGER, AND FIREARM MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING GUN-CLEANING RODS, GUN OIL AND CLEANING KITS.
2. TACTICAL AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT
THE FOLLOWING TACTICAL AND SECURITY-RELATED EQUIPMENT WAS RECOVERED: ONE PAIR OF HIGH-GRADE, MILITARY-VERSION BINOCULARS WITH NIGHT-VISION CAPABILITY AND BAK-4 PRISMS, FOUR (4) PAIRS OF TACTICAL GLOVES, TWO (2) BLACK TASER-TYPE DEVICES, THREE (3) BAOFENG WALKIE-TALKIES, ONE (1) WALKIE-TALKIE CHARGER, ONE (1) DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDER (DVR), AND ONE (1) VIDEO SPLITTER.
3. ELECTRONIC AND ICT DEVICES
A NUMBER OF ELECTRONIC AND ICT DEVICES WERE ALSO RECOVERED FROM THE PREMISES. THE DEVICES HAVE BEEN SECURED AND WILL BE SUBJECTED TO FORENSIC EXAMINATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
ALL DOCUMENTS, RECORDS, COMMUNICATIONS OR OTHER DIGITAL MATERIAL OBTAINED FROM THE DEVICES WILL FORM PART OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING
THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY WINGS WISH TO ASSURE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THE OPERATION WAS INTELLIGENCE-LED AND CONDUCTED IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC.
THE RECOVERED FIREARM, AMMUNITION, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, DOCUMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO DETAILED INVESTIGATION AND FORENSIC EXAMINATION TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWNERSHIP, SOURCE, INTENDED USE AND POSSIBLE CONNECTION TO THE ALLEGED OFFENCES UNDER INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING TREASON.
THE ELEVEN (11) APPREHENDED PERSONS REMAIN IN CUSTODY AS INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE.
THESE INCLUDE:
1. MR. BRAZIL SOKO, AGED 56,
2. MR. JACKSON MUTYOKA, AGED 41,
3. MR. BERNARD CHEWE, AGED 41,
4. MR. SIMON PHIRI, AGED 43,
5. MR. RICHARD BANDA, AGED 49,
6. MR. GEORGE KANGWA CHISANGA, AGED 59,
7. MR. TREVOR MWAMBA, AGED 68,
8. MR. FRANCIS MULENGA, AGED 26,
9. MR. EMMANUEL MULENGA, AGED 56,
10. MR. PATRICK MWANSA, AGED 39 AND
11. MR. DARIUS MWILA, AGED 57.
ANY OTHER PERSONS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED OFFENCES WILL BE DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY WINGS FURTHER WISH TO ASSURE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THERE IS NO INTENTION TO TARGET INDIVIDUALS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OCCUPATION OR STATUS. ALL PERSONS APPREHENDED WILL BE ACCORDED THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL RIGHTS, AND THE INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED PROFESSIONALLY, IMPARTIALLY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE URGED TO REMAIN CALM AND TO AVOID SPECULATION OR THE CIRCULATION OF UNVERIFIED INFORMATION REGARDING THE OPERATION AND THE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS.
FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED AS INVESTIGATIONS PROGRESS.
ISSUED BY:
Signed
GRAPHEL C. MUSAMBA
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
ON BEHALF OF THE CENTRAL JOINT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
To justify your actions, the CJOC must present the recovered military hardware to the public and international community as soon as possible, otherwise you will be accused of manufacturing evidence