DEC arrested over 5,000 people in 2014 for drug related offences

The Drug Enforcement Commission arrested 5,832 persons for drug related offences countrywide in 2014 as compared to 5,102 persons arrested in the year 2013 depicting a percentage increase of 14.3%.

Commission Public Relations officer Theresa Katongo in a statement today says out of the total number of persons arrested, 5,325 were males while 507 were female between the ages of 11-97.

Ms Katongo says Zambians accounted for 97 per cent of persons arrested representing 5,644 while 3 per cent were foreign nationals representing 188 out of the total number of people arrested.

She adds that 268 out of the 5, 832 persons arrested were juveniles.

Ms Katongo states that out of 5, 832 persons arrested for drug related offences, 3, 412 were convicted, 114 acquitted, 1, 867 have their cases pending in the courts of law, while the remaining were either discharged, withdrawn before court or had their cases handed over to other law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

She further states that during the period under review, the Commission seized 55 tonnes of cannabis as compared to 43 tonnes seized in 2013.

Ms Katongo says also seized in terms of drugs was one (01) tonne of miraa, 9.409kg of cocaine, 288g of heroin and 223g of diazepam.

She says in terms of arrests, Copperbelt Province recorded the highest number with 1, 622 persons arrested followed by Lusaka Province with 1, 054, while Central Province recorded the highest seizure of cannabis with 17.8 tonnes followed by Eastern Province with 10.4 tonnes.

Ms Katongo also reveals that during the period under review, the Commission seized a total of K876, 750.00 Zambian Kwacha counterfeit notes as compared to K413, 414.00 in 2013 recording a percentage increase of 52 percent.

She adds that in terms of United States Dollar counterfeit notes, the Commission in 2014 witnessed a 46 percentage increase from the initial $121,450.00 seized in 2013 to US$228,978.00 counterfeit notes seized in 2014.

Ms Katongo says the Commission in 2014 seized £8, 820.00 British Pounds counterfeit notes as compared to £7,320 British pounds seized in 2013.

She says the Commission under the Anti-Money Laundering Unit also managed to arrest a total of seventy-nine (79) persons in 2014 for money laundering offences involving K5, 344, 332.