The Zambia Police Service has arrested two suspects and seized a large quantity of counterfeit maize seeds following a raid in Lusaka’s Garden House area.
Police Public Relations Officer Rae Hamoonga confirmed the development, stating that the arrests were made during an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Intellectual Property Unit in collaboration with officers from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI).
Mr. Hamoonga explained that the operation was initiated after police intercepted an online advert posted on a Facebook page, which was offering various maize seed brands at unusually low prices.
During the raid, officers recovered 16 by 50-kilogram bags of uncoloured maize grains, several counterfeit seed bags, and other materials used for grading and colouring maize grains.
Police have since warned the public to be cautious when purchasing agricultural inputs and to ensure that they only buy certified seed from authorized dealers to avoid falling victim to counterfeit products.
