79 cybercrime suspects targeted govt systems – DEC

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), alongside a multi-agency Joint Security Taskforce, has dealt a significant blow to an international cybercrime syndicate operating within the capital, Lusaka. Authorities disclosed that a clandestine computer laboratory discovered at Evana Estates in the upscale New Kasama residential area was actively targeting critical national digital infrastructure. Among the primary targets identified by investigators were sensitive government networks, including the systems belonging to the Electoral Commission of Zambia. The high-stakes raid, executed following a detailed tip-off from vigilant members of the public, led to the apprehension of 79 individuals. The demographic breakdown of the suspects underscores the transnational nature of modern cyber threats facing Zambia, with the group comprising 35 Ugandan nationals, 11 Chinese nationals, 10 Zambians, eight Kenyans, six Ghanaians, five Liberians, two Burundians, one Chadian, and one Zimbabwean. DEC Public Relations Officer Allan Tamba confirmed that the syndicate operated entirely without legal authorization to run a computer laboratory or engage in telecommunications data processing within Zambian territory. Security analysts note that the sophistication of the seized equipment points toward coordinated efforts to compromise state security, siphon financial data, or disrupt upcoming civic processes. The involvement of multiple nationalities highlights how transnational cyber rings increasingly utilize southern African transit hubs to set up rogue operations, exploiting gaps in regional regulatory oversight. The Zambia Police Service, the Department of Immigration, and the newly augmented Zambia Cyber Security Agency collaborated closely to secure the premises and prevent data wiping or remote server destruction during the sting operation. Legal proceedings are expected to move swiftly as investigators sift through servers, hard drives, and communication logs recovered from the e