Zambia Busts “Sophisticated” Cybercrime Syndicate, Arrests 22 Chinese Nationals

Following the discovery of a “sophisticated internet fraud syndicate” in Zambia, 77 individuals—22 of whom are Chinese nationals—were taken into custody.

Following a multi-agency raid on a Chinese-run corporation, the authorities declared it to be a “significant breakthrough in the fight against cybercrime”.

Zambians who worked for the company thought they were going to be call centre agents.

Thousands of Sim cards and equipment that allowed callers to hide their location were among the items confiscated. Eleven Sim boxes—devices that can route calls in a way that avoids reputable phone networks—were discovered during the investigation.

The company at the center of the raid, Golden Top Support Services, has not responded to the accusations.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) conducted the raid on the company’s grounds, which are situated in Roma, a posh district of the capital Lusaka. The police, immigration authorities, and anti-terrorism unit were also involved.

Following an alarming increase in internet fraud cases in Zambia, the authorities had been accumulating intelligence for months before carrying out Tuesday’s raid, according to DEC director general Nason Banda. He added that “unsuspecting” Zambians between the ages of 20 and 25 had been hired by Golden Top Support Services. They were charged “with engaging in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users across various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, chatrooms and others, using scripted dialogues”.

According to Banda, this makes it possible for them to be exploited “for fraudulent activities, including internet fraud and online scams”.

The DEC head stated that the seizure of almost 13,000 Sim cards, both foreign and domestic, demonstrated “the extent of the operation’s reach.”

Money-laundering methods were causing an increasing number of Zambians to lose money from their bank accounts; nevertheless, the alleged “illicit operations extended beyond Zambia’s borders” of this fraud, according to him.

There was evidence that individuals had been targeted in a number of African nations, also in Singapore, Peru, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to Banda, the citizens of Zambia were accused and given bail so they could assist law enforcement in their inquiries. The foreign nationals, who include 22 men from China and one from Cameroon, are still being held.