The Zambia Police Service has detained former Copperbelt Province police commissioner Mwala Yuyi alongside five other individuals, including a magistrate, on allegations of stealing copper cathodes recovered in the Mufulira District.
The arrests represent a significant escalation in law enforcement efforts targeting corruption within the country's critical mining sector.
Multiple wire services are reporting that the suspects were apprehended following an investigation into the disappearance of seized copper assets.
The involvement of a sitting magistrate and a senior police official suggests deep-seated institutional challenges in securing high-value commodities in the region.
This development arrives as Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has recently highlighted the discovery of new copper deposits in the Mumbwa District, underscoring the strategic importance of the metal to the national economy.
The theft of recovered cathodes undermines efforts to formalize supply chains and protect state revenue from illicit diversion.