Kasumbalesa 路 Haut-Katanga, DR Congo
Checking copper trucks and yards at Kasumbalesa
Kasumbalesa is the main road border between the DRC and Zambia, and most DRC copper crosses here by truck. It's also where many scam offers place their cargo: trucks "waiting at the border" that only need a payment to move. Our field partner can go and look before you pay.
You pay Copper Supply. Full refund if the check can't be done. ID-checked members only (free, a few minutes).
Why Kasumbalesa matters
Kasumbalesa is about 90 km south-east of Lubumbashi on the border with Zambia. It's the busiest crossing for DRC copper: trucks carrying cathode and other mineral exports queue here, sometimes for days, before customs on both sides clear them into Zambia and on to Dar es Salaam, Durban or Walvis Bay.
Because real trucks really do wait at Kasumbalesa, it's a believable story for a scam.
The "trucks at the border" scam
The pattern is usually the same:
- A seller says loaded trucks are at Kasumbalesa (or "already in Zambia"), with photos and a set of export papers.
- A problem appears: a fee, a fine, a "document update", storage, or the trucks are "held" until someone pays.
- The buyer is asked to send money to release them. The trucks belong to someone else, are stolen, or don't exist.
What our partner checks at Kasumbalesa
- The trucks. Are trucks with the plates in your documents actually at the yard or in the queue named? Photos of the plates, the load and the seals, with the time and GPS position stamped on each.
- The yard or clearing agent. Does the yard or agent named in the papers exist, and will they confirm the trucks are theirs to handle?
- The story. Who is asking for money, and who actually controls the trucks.
How a field check works
- You order on Copper Supply and pay Copper Supply. Only members whose ID has been checked can order, so nobody can send our partner somewhere anonymously.
- Our field partner in Lubumbashi contacts the seller as "the Copper Supply field partner". Your name, your price and your deal are never shared.
- You follow every step in the job: seller contacted, visit booked, on the way, and a GPS check-in when they arrive.
- You get dated photos stamped with the GPS position, short videos and a written report, usually within 3 to 5 working days.
A field check reports what was seen on the day. It isn't an inspection: there's no sampling, assay, weighing or certificate. For any lot you pay for, appoint an inspection company too.
Questions people ask
Can you check trucks on the Zambian side?
Our field partner covers the DRC side of Kasumbalesa. For trucks said to be inside Zambia, email sales@copper.supply before you order.
The seller says I must pay to release the trucks. What should I do?
Don't pay until someone independent has seen the trucks and confirmed who controls them. Requests to pay to release, unblock or update papers for trucks you've never seen are one of the most common copper scams.
What do I need to give you?
The truck plates, the yard or agent named in the documents, the seller's contact so the visit can be arranged, and any documents you were sent. The more we can compare on the ground, the clearer the report.
How much is it?
US$450 for a visit, paid to Copper Supply and refunded if it can't be done.
Check it before you pay for it
A field check tells you the cargo is there. An expert document review tells you the papers are right. Use both before any money moves.