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Twenty-two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to between 7 and 11 years in prison for cybercrime, including Internet fraud and online scams in Zambia.
The chinese have been targeting Zambians and people from Singapore, Peru and the United Arab Emirates.
They were also fined between $1,500 and $3,000 after pleading guilty to computer misrepresentation, identity fraud and illegal operation of a network.
A Cameroonian received a similar sentence. These individuals were part of a group of 77 people, mainly Zambians, arrested in April for participating in a “sophisticated Internet fraud syndicate”.
The Director General of the Drug Enforcement Commission, Nason Banda, said the investigation had been triggered by an increase in complaints of unexplained loss of money from cell phones and bank accounts.
In the April raid, authorities seized over 13,000 local and foreign SIM cards, two firearms and 78 rounds of ammunition.
The Chinese company Golden Top Support Services had employed young Zambians to use the SIM cards to conduct deceptive conversations on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
The Zambian nationals arrested were released on bail.
