By JAMES KUNDA –

THIRTY-SEVEN people countrywide have been arrested for unlawful cultivation and trafficking in cannabis.
Drug Enforcement Commission public relations officer Theresa Katongo said in a statement yesterday that the 37 were apprehended in the last three days.
Those arrested and jointly charged are Astend Simfukwe, 39, a business executive of Matero Township in Lusaka and Abraham Phiri, 43, a peasant farmer of Neva Village in Nyimba District, Eastern Province for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 137.9 kilogrammes.
“Also arrested in Nyimba was John Phiri, 20, a peasant farmer of Neva Village for trafficking in 21.2 kilogrammes of loose cannabis,” Ms Katongo said.
Meanwhile, the Commission in North-Western Province arrested Kennedy Kalemba, 42, a peasant farmer of Tunga in Mufumbwe for unlawful cultivation of fresh cannabis plants weighing 73 kilogrammes.
“In Luapula Province, the Commission arrested Elias Mwape, 59, a peasant farmer of Posa Village in Kaputa District for trafficking in 6.350 kilogrammes of loose cannabis and Layson Mpundu, 34, a fisherman of Kasongole Village in Chiyengi District for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 3.064 kilogrammes,” she said.
James Chola, 43, also of Kasongole Village was arrested for trafficking in 6.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 841 grammes of loose cannabis.
Others arrested and jointly charged are Moses Silumbwe, 44, a peasant farmer of Kabuta Village in Mpulungu District and his wife, Rhosia Nakazwe, 33, for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 5.5 kilogrammes.
Ms Katongo said all suspects will appear in court soon.