Zambian court sentences 22 Chinese Nationals for cybercrime in landmark case
On Friday, a Zambian court sentenced 22 Chinese nationals to prison for cybercrimes, including online fraud and scams targeting people in Zambia, Singapore, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Lusaka Magistrate’s Court handed down sentences ranging from 7 to 11 years in prison.
The court also fined them between $1,500 and $3,000 after they pled guilty on Wednesday to charges of computer-related fraud, identity theft, and the unauthorized operation of a network or service.
Additionally, a man from Cameroon was sentenced to prison and fined for similar offenses.
These convictions stem from the arrest of a group of 77 individuals, mainly Zambians, in April during a crackdown on what police described as a “sophisticated internet fraud syndicate.”
Cybersecurity expert Ali Kingston Mwila remarked, “In the past, similar offenders have often escaped punishment.”
Nason Banda, Director General of the Drug Enforcement Commission, explained that the investigation began after authorities noticed a surge in cyberfraud cases, with numerous complaints of unexplained losses from mobile phones and bank accounts.
In April, agents from multiple agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Commission, police, immigration department, and anti-terrorism unit, raided a Chinese-owned business in an affluent suburb of Lusaka, arresting the 77 suspects, including those sentenced recently.
During the raid, authorities seized over 13,000 SIM cards from both local and international mobile networks, two firearms, and 78 rounds of ammunition.
The company, Golden Top Support Services, had employed unsuspecting Zambians aged 20 to 25 to use the SIM cards for “deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile phone users on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, chat rooms, and others, using scripted dialogues,” Banda stated in April.
The Zambian nationals involved were released on bail.
Mwila highlighted that several aspects of the case remain unclear.
“We still don’t know the total amount stolen or the details regarding the firearms and ammunition and how they were used,” he added.
Source: bbc.com
