THE Drug Enforcement Commission has seized boarding houses, a farm, pigs, household goods and a factory in Lusaka from a Rwandan national accused of entering Zambia illegally while posing as a Congolese refugee, authorities said.

The seizures are part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into the suspect, who is currently on the run, DEC Deputy Public Relations Officer Theresa Mawere said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations found that the suspect fraudulently acquired and registered various businesses and properties using false identities, Mawere said. The actions were allegedly taken to evade legal frameworks and facilitate illicit financial activities, including money laundering.

Working with other institutions, the DEC conducted searches and verifications that linked the suspect to multiple assets and vehicles registered under fraudulent identities, she said.

Seized assets include three vehicles: a Toyota Allion, registration BAZ 9451; a Toyota Probox, registration BLB 9986B; and a Toyota Hiace, registration BAP 7951.

The commission also seized boarding houses, a farm with livestock, household goods and a factory in the Mungule area of Lusaka, Mawere said.

A joint manhunt by the DEC and other law enforcement agencies is underway to apprehend the suspect, who remains at large.

Family members of the suspect were found to be illegally residing in the country and have been deported following a lawful deportation order issued by the Immigration Department, Mawere said.

She said the asset seizures are part of a broader recovery process aimed at depriving suspects of proceeds of crime and facilitating possible restitution of fraudulently acquired properties to rightful owners, subject to due legal process.

“The commission continues to reaffirm its unwavering commitment to combating financial crimes and safeguarding the integrity of Zambia’s economic and legal systems,” Mawere said. She urged the public to report suspicious properties to law enforcement.

(Mwebantu, Sunday, 10th May, 2026)