A Lusaka based man has lost over K431,000 by unlawful data access through his two stolen phones.

Unknown criminals stole the two iPhones belonging to Mr. Nachi Musonda, aged 38 of Silverest, Lusaka and fraudulently accessed his banking accounts and proceeded to transfer K175,251.35 from ZANACO, K143,000 from FNB,K9,995 from Airtel Money and K23,000 from MTN money.

According to police spokesperson , Rae Hamoonga, in a statement to Nkani, said these criminal activities transpired between the Chipata and Lusaka Districts, spanning the period from the 23rd to the 26th of February 2024.

Hamoonga said prompt investigations were launched into the matter, resulting in the apprehension of three suspects namely, Mr. Adrian Hantobolo Mungaila, aged 30, of Makeni Villa, Mr. Cephas Musonda, aged 27, of Garden House, Lusaka and Mr. Bernard Musonda, aged 32, of Garden House, Lusaka.

“During the arrest, we recovered several items believed to have been utilized in the commission of the crimes, including 75 MTN SIM cards,35 Zamtel SIM cards, 201 Airtel SIM cards, a Wiccoo cell phone,an Itel cell phone,a Techno Camon cell phone,a Samsung cell phone and a 1 Techno Spark cell phone”, he said.

He said the seized items are suspected to have facilitated the criminals in their illicit activities with investigation further revealing evidence suggesting the existence of a criminal cartel specializing in the theft of mobile phones and subsequent exploitation of personal data for financial gain.

Hamoonga said the suspects are currently in police custody, and investigations are ongoing to uncover further details surrounding this criminal network.

©️NKANI April 13, 2024