By CHILA NAMAIKO –

A CHOMA-BASED police officer and two other people have been arrested for obtaining money and goods by false pretence.

The police officer and the other three arrested have also been impersonating as inspectors from the Pharmaceutical Regulation Authority (PRA).

The trio has allegedly been using forged PRA identity cards to obtain money and goods from people trading in pharmaceutical products in Southern and Lusaka provinces.

Southern Province Police Chief Charity Katanga named the police officer as Felix Mwape, 41, a constable of house number six Choma Police Camp, who was on study leave.

The other two suspects are Robison Munyenga, 44, of house number 144, Kanyama Township in Lusaka, and Henry Nyirenda, 46, of the same township.

Ms Katanga said in an interview yesterday that the trio used to obtain money and goods from people by false pretence contrary to section 309 Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

She said the suspects were arrested on Thursday at Manunga Market in Monze District where they swindled local residents and confiscated various products.

“At the time of arrest, we found the suspects with K7,000 cash and other pharmaceutical products,” Ms Katanga said.

She said the trio also impersonated as PRA inspectors contrary to section 65 (6) (d) of the Medicine and Allied Substances Act Number 3 of 2013.

The suspects were said to have allegedly swindled some people at Soweto Market in Lusaka where some of their products were sold.