Zambian authorities detained a private aircraft arriving from Egypt on Tuesday. Onboard, they found a staggering $5.6 million in cash, 602 gold coins, and five guns loaded with 126 bullets. The crackdown led to the arrest of ten individuals, including one Zambian, six Egyptians, a Dutch national, a Spaniard, and a citizen from Latvia, all of whom are currently under investigation.
Nason Banda, the General Director of the Drug Enforcement Commission in Zambia, briefed journalists in the capital, Lusaka. He noted, “The plane, which originated from Cairo and carried ‘dangerous goods’, landed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka around 7 pm local time on Monday.”
Elaborating further, Banda stated, “In collaboration with colleagues from various law enforcement agencies, we conducted an operation that led to the seizure of $5.6 million, five handguns, seven ammunition, 126 bullets, and 602 gold coins weighing a total of 127.2 kilograms. We also confiscated gold-weighing equipment.”
Banda added, “The aircraft, along with another plane belonging to a local airline, has been seized. The confiscated funds have been entrusted to a Zambian bank while investigations are ongoing.”