THREE police officers have been arrested for allegedly stealing an excavator hydraulic pump, tool box, a heavy-duty battery, diesel and hydraulic oil from a farm in Kasempa district. The officers are among seven people who were apprehended on Saturday as they attempted to sell the alleged stolen items back to the owner in Ndola. According to North-Western Province Commissioner of Police Hudson Namachila, the alleged theft took place on Thursday last week in Kelongwa area.

Mr Namachila said in an interview yesterday that the incident was reported by Ali Nzowa of Ndola’s Itawa Extension on behalf of ATL Drilling Company. Mr Nzowa told police that an excavator hydraulic pump, tool box, heavy-duty battery of Willard make, unknown litres of diesel and hydraulic oil had been stolen from an excavator. Mr Namachila said the suspects were arrested when they went to sell the excavator pump to Reroy Schultz of ATL Drilling Company in Ndola.

He said this was after the Ndola Central Police Station criminal investigations department received information from an informer that there were suspected criminals from Kasempa district who were travelling to Ndola to sell an excavator pump. Mr Namachila said after the tip, police officers were put on alert.

“In the middle of the transaction, the excavator pump was identified by the buyer to be his property which was stolen in Kasempa,” he said. Mr Namachila said the seven suspects, among them three police officers, were then apprehended. He said during questioning at the police station, it was discovered that two of the suspects were police officers based at Zambezi Police Station and one at Solwezi Central Police Station.

Mr Namachila named the officers as constables Ignatius Chola and Bernard Bwalya, and reservist Daniel Mufwaya while the other four are civilians. The North-Western Province police chief said the value of the items has not yet been ascertained. Mr Namachila said the suspects are expected to be formally arrested and charged in Solwezi