DEC’s drug related arrests declined by 9 percent in 2018

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) says it made  5, 241 arrests countrywide for various drug related offences in 2018.

DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo says the 5, 241 arrests made represents a reduction of 9 percent compared to the 5, 757 arrests made in 2017.

Ms. Katongo says of the total arrested persons in 2018, 375 were female and 4, 866 were male out of which 295 were juveniles aged between 11 and 17 years.

She states that from these arrests the DEC recorded a total of 1, 888 convictions against 77 acquittals with a further 2, 804 cases still pending in the courts of law at various stages.

In a statement to QTV News Ms. Katongo has disclosed that the Commission seized a total of 128.82 tons of cannabis plants and 22.30 tons of cannabis herb in 2018.

Ms. Katongo says the highest quantity of the seized drugs recorded was in Muchinga province followed by Southern and Eastern Provinces respectively.

She notes that in money laundering, the DEC, under its Anti-money laundering Investigations Unit, arrested 77 persons  for various predicate and money laundering offences.

The DEC public relations officer says this is from 51 cases involving K 37, 471, 220.18 and US$ 1, 171, 064.36.

She states that  the commission also seized various assets suspected to be proceeds of crime amounting to a total of K71 million adding that the cash seized amounted to K 13, 043, 732.02 and US$ 59, 901.56.

Ms. Katongo says a total 25 persons were convicted for various predicate and money laundering offences from 24 cases while 5 of the arrested suspects were acquitted by the courts of law.

She notes that the trends observed in 2018 indicate an increase in cases of fraud and embezzlement of public funds involving officers in the public sector mainly arising from abuse of authority of office.