All 31 Chinese detained in Zambia since Saturday were released on Tuesday and put a flight back to China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Chinese embassy in Lusaka.
The Chinese were arrested on suspicion of illegal mining in the copper-mining area of Chingola and picked up in a raid by police, intelligence and immigration officers, the Times of Zambia reported on Sunday.
The report quoted Zambian Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo as saying foreigners needed a licence to be involved in mining-related operations such as smelting.
“We are here to put to an end this criminality. Foreign investors who come into this country must work within the confines of the law. Those who break the law will be flushed out,” Kampyongo was quoted as saying.
“We are going to restore order in ... Chingola. It is saddening to see that even children below the age of 10 years are being used in illegal activities.”
China’s ambassador to Zambia, Yang Youming, met Kampyongo on Monday and urged Zambia to release the Chinese to “jointly maintain the good atmosphere for friendly cooperation between the two countries”.