Congo Seizes More Than 500 Vehicles and Thousands of Tons of Copper and Cobalt
Key Facts
The Congolese News Agency reported on November 2, 2026, that authorities seized more than 500 trucks and other vehicles, along with thousands of tons of copper and cobalt, in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces. The agency said the justice minister directed the prosecutor general at the Court of Cassation to open a judicial investigation into suspected mining fraud in the two provinces. The seizures were carried out during a joint mission involving police, the armed forces, military judges and experts from the Ministry of Mines. The operations covered several sites, including Menda in Lualaba, according to a Bloomberg report published by Mining Weekly. The statement did not detail the quantities of copper and cobalt separately, while the investigation is tasked with establishing the facts and responsibility.
The Justice Ministry said the reported conduct is believed to relate mainly to mining fraud, illegal exploitation of resources and smuggling. The suspicions have been referred for a judicial investigation, and the statement did not say that violations had been established or that any individuals or companies had been charged. The justice minister said combating fraud and illegal exploitation is necessary to protect the country’s sovereignty and economic interests. He added that the investigation would determine what happened and who was responsible. The seizures form part of an official effort to tighten oversight of mineral extraction and trade in the two provinces.
The campaign is significant in a country Bloomberg describes as the world’s largest source of battery-grade cobalt and the second-largest copper producer. U.S. Geological Survey data show that output from Congolese cobalt mines reached 230,000 tons in 2025, compared with 226,000 tons in 2024. Those figures put the seizures in the context of a large mining sector, but do not measure the share of national production represented by the confiscated minerals. The seizure announcement also did not estimate what the quantities could mean for the market or supplies. No moves in prices linked to the incident were identified in reliable open sources.
The campaign coincided with other government steps to address illegal mining in licensed areas. On October 21, 2026, the mines minister suspended the director general of the Agency for the Support of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining, accusing him of failing to prevent illegal activity, particularly in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga. Reuters said rising mineral prices had drawn thousands of informal miners to licensed areas, sparking tensions with industrial operators. In the week before its report, Reuters reported the reopening of the Musompo mineral trading center near Kolwezi. The center aims to improve sales transparency through certified weighing and analysis, according to the report.
The sector’s oversight tools also include a cobalt export quota system for 2026 and 2027, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The system allows up to 96,600 tons of contained cobalt to be exported annually in each of the two years. That cap includes 9,600 tons earmarked for national strategic reserves. The seizure investigation comes as authorities seek to address illegal extraction while regulating the flow of the metal to markets. The next step in this case will depend on what the judicial investigations establish about the suspicions of fraud, exploitation and smuggling.