Digital Lab At Evana Estates Targeted Government Systems, Immigration Reveals

Sixty-nine of the 79 foreign nationals detained during a joint security operation at Evana Estates in Lusaka’s New Kasama Township did not possess valid work permits, the Immigration Department has revealed, as fresh evidence emerged that a clandestine digital laboratory operated…

Sixty-nine of the 79 foreign nationals detained during a joint security operation at Evana Estates in Lusaka’s New Kasama Township did not possess valid work permits, the Immigration Department has revealed, as fresh evidence emerged that a clandestine digital laboratory operated by the group was aimed at compromising strategic government information systems.

Immigration Department Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka told journalists in Lusaka that the 79 suspects, comprising nationals from several countries, were apprehended following a tip-off regarding suspicious activities at the property.

The suspects include 35 Ugandans, 11 Chinese nationals, eight Kenyans, eight Ghanaians, five Liberians, two Burundians, one Chadian and one Zimbabwean, alongside 10 Zambian nationals who were also apprehended during the operation.

The Immigration Department, working alongside the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Zambia Cyber Security Agency and other security institutions, carried out the joint operation after receiving intelligence pointing to unusual activity at the estate.

During the raid, the joint team seized 73 desktop computers, six laptops, 140 mobile phones, five Starlink satellite internet kits, ten new SIM cards, 75 passports, K21,490 in local currency, US$10,450, and assorted foreign currencies.

Nshinka said the foreign nationals had indicated to authorities that they had come to Zambia to visit, rather than for business or employment purposes, a claim that immigration officials say does not match the scale and nature of the equipment found on site.

“None had permits. Their indicated purpose of visit was just visiting and not business or work,” Nshinka said, responding to questions from journalists on the status of the suspects.

He said none of the detained foreign nationals had stated that they had travelled to Zambia for business or work-related purposes, despite the presence of extensive computing and communications equipment at the property.

Immigration officials disclosed that six Ugandan nationals among those detained had already exhausted their permitted visiting days in Zambia and were therefore in the country illegally at the time of their arrest, despite having entered legally in the first instance.

Nshinka said the department was yet to determine what action would follow regarding the flouting of immigration laws by those found to be without valid permits, adding that investigations into the wider circumstances of the case remained ongoing.

New evidence has since emerged suggesting that the digital laboratory operated by the group was aimed at compromising the security, integrity and availability of strategic government information systems, including data linked to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

The finding followed specialised digital forensics investigations conducted after the initial raid, which examined the equipment and data recovered from the site in detail.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the full extent of any breach or attempted breach of government systems, nor have they indicated what specific government platforms may have been targeted beyond the reference to ECZ-linked systems.

The scale of the operation, both in terms of the number of individuals involved and the volume of specialised equipment recovered, has raised questions about the nature and purpose of the activities being carried out at the estate before the raid.

Investigators are continuing to assess the seized devices and financial records as part of efforts to establish the full scope of the alleged activities and to determine what further legal action may be warranted against those found to have violated immigration and cyber security laws.

The case comes amid heightened public attention to cyber security and information integrity in Zambia, particularly regarding systems tied to electoral administration, following a general election in which the transparency of tabulation processes has already drawn scrutiny from international observer missions.

Authorities have given no indication of any confirmed link between the individuals detained and any specific attempt to interfere with the outcome of the recent national vote, and investigations remain at an early stage.

The Immigration Department has said further updates will be provided as the joint investigation, involving multiple security and law enforcement agencies, continues to establish the full facts of the case.