By MILDRED KATONGO and RABECCA CHIPANTA –
FIVE of the 26 detainees that escaped from lawful custody at a police station in Nakonde, Muchinga Province, have been re-arrested.
Additionally, Zambia and Tanzanian police authorities have joined efforts to track some of the suspects, believed to be in the neighbouring country.
The 26 prisoners facing various offences on Friday last week, escaped from Nakonde Police Station after cutting two burglar bars at the ventilation window using a hacksaw blade.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Malcom Mulenga said police had continued with the manhunt to re- arrest the suspects who escaped from lawful custody.
Muchinga Police Commissioner Auxensio Daka said Zambia and Tanzanian police officers had joined efforts to track down suspects who were reported to have crossed into Tunduma in Tanzania.
Mr Daka said police officers were working tirelessly to ensure that the prisoners were recaptured.
“Five out of the 26 have been re-arrested and police are still looking for the rest that escaped from lawful custody last week on Friday. Some of them are said to have crossed into Tunduma in Tanzania.
We are working together with the police in Tanzania to help track down some suspects who have escaped,” Mr Daka said.
He also said that police were investigating the four officers who were on duty when the prisoners escaped from custody.
Mr Daka said the investigations were aimed at establishing whether the officers were negligent or not and that if found to be negligent, they would be charged accordingly.
Meanwhile, Police on the Copperbelt have arrested a 25-year-old man of Luanshya’s Mpatamatu Township for unlawful possession of three different types of explosives.
Confirming the incident, Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga said the suspect had gone on a drinking spree in the company of other suspects who were on the run.
Ms Katanga said the incident happened a fortnight ago near a drinking spot in Mpatamatu, where the suspects left a black bag containing a clobber, two hammers, screw driver, face masks and three types of explosives for safe keeping.
She said that upon inspecting the contents of the bag, the owner of the bar tipped Police who later ambushed the suspects, but managed to apprehend one with the other two escaping the police dragnet.
Ms Katanga said a safety conductor from Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) Joseph Mulenga has been summoned to the station to identify the explosives.
She said Mr Mulenga identified the explosives which had since been deposited to the mine.