POLICE THWART SCAM AND RECOVER FAKE US$1.2MILLION
Police in Lusaka have thwarted a scam in which two men have been arrested for being in possession of implements of forgery.
Police have also recovered suspected counterfeit money amounting to 1.2 million United States Dollars from the suspects identified as James Goel Malu a Sudanese of Maheba Refugee Resettlement and Inatio Tembe a Mozambican of Woodlands residential area in Lusaka.
The suspects are also facing a charge of Obtaining money by false pretences after they scammed a man only identified as Mr. Phiri of Lilayi Estates money amounting to K75,000. Mr. Phiri was made to believe that they were investors who wanted to partner with him in Petroleum and Filling station business in Zambia.
The suspects promised Mr. Phiri that they would invest money amounting to K6,000,000 in order to start the business before showing him a safe containing undisclosed amount of money in US 100 dollar notes.
Mr. Phiri was told to push in K75,000 as his initial investment. Later after he paid the money, he was told to bring in more money and that they needed to buy a chemical. Mr. Phiri then shared the idea with his friend who told him that he had been scammed and quickly he reported the matter to Police.
Police received a report on October 14, 2023 around 13:00 hours and immediately officers moved in and managed to apprehend the suspects from one of the lodges in Olympia Park.
Officers searched their room and recovered a metal safe containing 1.2 Million United States Dollars suspected to be counterfeit and a machine suspected to be used in forging currencies.
They are detained in Police custody while Investigations have heightened.
Danny Mwale
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer