Fugitive Rwandese National Used False Congolese Identity to Build Hidden Business Empire, DEC Reveals
LUSAKA — A Rwandese national who allegedly slipped into Zambia illegally and reinvented himself as a Congolese refugee has been exposed as the suspected architect of a sophisticated money laundering network—one built entirely on stolen identities, fraudulent business registrations, and assets now in the hands of the state.
Zambia’s Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) confirmed Saturday that it has seized a portfolio of properties and vehicles linked to the suspect following a sweeping intelligence-led operation conducted jointly with the Department of Immigration and the National Anti-Terrorism Centre.
The suspect, whose name was not disclosed in the official statement, remains at large. A joint manhunt is underway.
A Web of False Identities
According to the DEC, preliminary investigations paint a picture of calculated deception. The suspect is alleged to have entered Zambia unlawfully before assuming a fabricated Congolese refugee identity — a cover investigators believe was deliberately engineered to exploit legal blind spots and sidestep scrutiny from financial and regulatory authorities.
Under these false identities, the suspect is alleged to have registered multiple business entities, acquired properties, and operated motor vehicles—constructing, brick by brick, what authorities describe as an illicit financial ecosystem designed to launder money and obscure its origins.
What Was Seized
The Commission’s Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit (AMLIU) has moved to strip the suspect of assets believed to constitute proceeds of crime. The seizures include three motor vehicles—a Toyota Allion (BAZ 9451), a Toyota Probox (BLB 9986B), and a Toyota Hiace (BAP 7951).
More significantly, authorities have taken control of a collection of properties in the Mungule area of Lusaka, including boarding houses, a farm complete with livestock, household goods, and a factory—a portfolio that suggests the alleged operation had been running, and growing, for some time.
Family Deported, Suspect Still Sought
In a parallel development, family members of the suspect discovered to be living illegally in Zambia have been deported following a lawful order issued by the Immigration Department — a move that effectively closes off one potential network of support for the fugitive.
The DEC was pointed in its messaging on Saturday, stressing that asset recovery in this case is not merely punitive. The commission indicated that seized properties could be subject to restitution—returned to any individuals who may have been defrauded in the process—pending the outcome of due legal process.
The Bigger Picture
Saturday’s announcement is the latest signal from Zambian law enforcement that financial crime — particularly money laundering through fraudulent identity and business registration — is firmly in its crosshairs. The involvement of the National Anti-Terrorism Centre alongside immigration and narcotics investigators also suggests authorities view such networks through a broader national security lens, not simply as financial crime.
The DEC has urged members of the public to report suspicious activity to law enforcement as the manhunt continues.
Based on a press statement issued by the Drug Enforcement Commission, Lusaka, Saturday May 9, 2026
