Two of the five bandits police gunned down in Chisamba yesterday were among hundreds of criminals President Michael Sata pardoned during Independence Day celebrations last year.
President Sata has gone on a pardon spree without observing the recommended Prisons Service procedure giving rise to aggravated crimes in the country as some of those released go back to their business.
Police commissioner Joyce Kasosa confirmed that Kennedy Masensela and Simon Zimba were only released from jail last year but were back in business of staging armed robberies.
Joseph Kanko, Tony Mutondo, and Mercy Mutale Kasonde were among the five that were shot dead by police on a day before another band of criminals terrorised officers at Manda Hill Police Post where they made away with KR 12,900 from a Mr Mubanga who had gone to seek refuge their when he noticed he had been trailed.
The Times of Zambia reports that five suspected criminals, among them a woman, have been shot dead after they attempted to escape from police officers.
The incident happened in Chisamba on Tuesday around 21:00 hours, after the suspects attempted to escape from a police vehicle which was ferrying them to Lusaka.
They were apprehended in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Copperbelt for theft of motor vehicles.
According to Lusaka police commissioner Joyce Kasosa, DRC officers arrested the three suspected criminals who allegedly stole two Toyota Hilux vehicles in Lusaka and fled to the neighbouring country.
The three were handed over to the Zambian police at Kasumbalesa border post on Monday together with the two Toyota Hilux vehicles that were recovered.
It was believed that the two vehicles, registration number ABK 8092 belongs to the National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE ), and COM 208 CD belonging to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Other items recovered included a pistol and a laptop believed to have been stolen from a Chinese national in Chamba Valley in Lusaka.
“If you recall two weeks ago we had an aggravated robbery and murder involving two NATSAVE officers, Francis Banda and Martin Ngoma in Chilanga. The criminals went away with a Toyota Hilux, it is one of these vehicles that was recovered by police officers in DRC,” Ms Kasosa said.
After the suspected criminals were handed over to the police officers at Kasumbalesa, they proceeded to the Copperbelt where they had other operations which led to the arrest of two more criminals and recovery of two more unregistered vehicles, a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota FunCargo.
On their way to Lusaka around Chisamba area, police officers spotted a Toyota Corolla in which there were other suspected criminals who opened fire at the police vehicle carrying the five suspects.
The police fired back at those in the Toyota corolla which later sped off. In Lusaka, a Mr Mubanga was trailed after he made a withdrawal from Stanbic Bank at Arcades shopping mall.
The criminals, driving a Toyota Corolla with an unknown registration, trailed Mubanga and caught up with him at Manda Hill Police Post, where they fired in the air, opened his car using an axe and later got away with the money.
“Two empty cartridges from an AK47 rifle were found on the scene and an axe. It is believed that the robbery happened right at Manda Hill Police Post, but I am yet to get the full details,” Ms Kasosa said.
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