POLICE in Ndola have arrested four Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers for stealing eight boxes of Benylin cough syrup from a vehicle in transit.

Copperbelt deputy commissioner of police Bothwell Namuswa has confirmed the incident.

It is alleged that the four hijacked a vehicle carrying the medical drugs from Kabwe going to Kitwe at Hillcrest filling station in Ndola after pretending that they were police officers.

Namuswa said the incident happened on June 23, 2020 at Hillcrest filling station.

He said the drugs were stolen from Geoffrey Mwenya and they were worth K32,700.

He identified the suspects as Elijah Chanda, DEC officer from Kitwe office, Makondo Luyando, DEC Ndola, Nelson Tembo and Moses Mwansa of Kitwe.

“This case occurred on June 23 this year at Hillcrest filling station in which Benylin was stolen from Mwenya. We have been investigating this case and on August 1, we carried out operations within our investigation and we managed to apprehend Tembo and we managed to apprehend a DEC officer from Kitwe, Chanda and Makondo Luyando, a DEC officer from Ndola office. In the process of investigations on Thursday, we managed to apprehend Mwansa of Kitwe,” he said.

He said the four had been charged with robbery and had been released on police bond waiting for court appearance soon.

Namuswa said police were still looking for other persons involved in the case.

“However there are others whom we have not mentioned here who are at large hoping that we apprehend them as soon as possible before the case goes to court,” said Namuswa.