By HELLEN TEMBO –
THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested a 49-year-old Mauritian for suspected money laundering involving more than K800,000.
DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo said the Commission arrested Dhiraj Dhunputh, a male who is a project manager at Forges Tardieu Zambia Limited, for forgery, uttering of false documents, obtaining goods by false pretences, being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime, and money laundering contrary to the law.
Ms Katongo said in a statement yesterday that between August last year and June 24 this year, Mr Dhunputh, while acting with other unknown people, did forge invoices amounting to K817,971.66 purporting that they were issued by the suppliers of Forges Tardieu Zambia Limited when in fact not, and fraudulently uttered the documents to the Forges Tardieu accounts office.
“Dhunputh was found in possession of K160,700 and US$27,523 cash, property suspected of being proceeds of crime.
“He was also found with two laptops, an iPad and a Samsung S7 edge phone, property derived directly or indirectly from illegal activities,” Ms Katongo said.
She said Mr Dhunputh was released on police bond and would appear in court.
Meanwhile, the Commission has arrested a 38-year-old Zambian business executive for allegedly obtaining money by false pretences.
Ms Katongo named the suspect as Trevor Kiolwe of Kamwala Township in Lusaka.
She said between December last year and June this year, Mr Kiolwe, acting with other unidentified people, obtained K4,090 and K6,545 from two different persons, and K3,740 from four other individuals.
Ms Katongo said Mr Kiolwe further obtained K5,500 from two persons by pretending that he had found them jobs in foreign service and that they needed to undergo diplomatic training.