DEC Officers Enter Lungu Libala Property to Execute Vehicle Forfeiture

Officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) have entered a property belonging to the estate of the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in Lusaka's Libala area, as part of ongoing efforts to recover assets declared tainted by the courts.

A lawyer representing the Lungu family confirmed the operation, stating that officers were on the premises to collect vehicles belonging to Mr. Lungu's son, Dalitso Lungu, following a ruling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) ordering their forfeiture to the State. The lawyer alleged that officers declined to present a search warrant when requested, describing the operation as "total lawlessness." DEC is yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.

The operation forms part of a broader pattern of court-sanctioned asset recovery actions involving the former first family. In February 2026, the EFCC ordered the forfeiture of 79 vehicles and 23 properties linked to Dalitso Lungu — assets valued at over K24 million — after the court concluded that his documented earnings were wholly insufficient to account for the scale of his property portfolio. Dalitso has since filed an appeal against the ruling.

The action against the Libala property follows a series of significant enforcement decisions against the wider Lungu family. In September 2024, the EFCC ordered the forfeiture of 15 luxury flats valued at ZMW 66 million belonging to former First Lady Esther Lungu, declaring them proceeds of crime. The court found that Mrs. Lungu had failed to provide sufficient evidence that the properties were acquired through legitimate means, dismissing her assertion that her husband had financed their construction due to the absence of supporting documentation.

Tasila Lungu, the former president's daughter and Chawama Member of Parliament, was also arrested by DEC on charges of money laundering and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime, relating to a farm in Sinda valued at approximately K8.8 million.

The National Prosecution Authority has described the Dalitso Lungu forfeiture as one of the most significant asset recovery decisions involving a former head of state's immediate family in Zambian history, and has stressed that the proceedings form part of Zambia's broader fight against corruption and financial crime rather than any exercise in selective justice.

The Lungu family has contested each of the enforcement actions through the courts. Further details on today's operation are expected as the situation develops.