THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has seized the newly imported Bugatti Veyron after a social media buzz around the cost of the top market sports car.

DEC Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo confirmed to News Diggers that the Commission had taken possession of the car, barely a day after its arrival, in order to investigate if there was money laundering activities involved.

She said this followed “numerous concerns from members of the public” over the purchase.”

“The Drug Enforcement Commission has received numerous concerns from members of the public regarding the Bugatti which came through the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Monday 24th February, 2020. Following the concerns raised, the Commission is making follow ups to ensure that the purchase of the motor vehicle is not in breach of any money laundering laws. The vehicle has since been seized as investigations are being conducted,” stated Katongo.

According to a News Diggers investigation, the 2008 Bugatti Veyron was imported by businessman Ian Chamunora Haruperi and duty was paid at K41, 0000 following ZRA’s standardisation of import duty on cars.

“ZRA did not immediately clear the vehicle as the commission also conducted its own verification process to make sure that the details on the import documents were accurate in terms of year of make, etc,” a source told News Diggers.

BBC Africa has given the Bugatti import special coverage, highlighting the hysteria caused by the celebrity car in Lusaka.

Haruperi is a businessman behind Chadore Properties, a company which was involved in a money lending dispute with former FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya in 2008, where the soccer legend lost a house over a US$26,000 loan, following a Supreme Court ruling.