Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said Zambia National Service officers intercepted a group of people who are alleged to have been smuggling the commodity into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Katanga said the group had become unruly and started throwing different missiles at the officers, a move that forced them to fire.
She has identified the deceased as George Chibolya, 67, while an 18-year-old was also shot and wounded.
Katanga said smugglers are using undesignated routes to smuggle the commodity into DRC.