By JAMES KUNDA –
THE Drug-Enforcement Commission (DEC) last year arrested 5,901 people countrywide for illicit use of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin, representing a spike of nearly 10 per cent over the 2015 numbers.
Lusaka Province contributed 1,110 arrests with Western province recording the least number of offenders, according 2016 statistics released yesterday by the commission.
DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo said the values involved in the cases of the suspects were K8,275,004.96 and US$320,704.46.
The number of arrests represents a 9.8 per cent increase from the 5,374 recorded in 2015.
Of the people arrested, 5,480 were male and 421 were female, with Lusaka Province recording the highest number of arrests at 1,110 and Western Province, the least, with 310.
Ms Katongo said 271 juveniles aged between 10 to 17 years, 254 male and 17 were female, were among the suspects, which also included 140 foreigners.
“Out of the 5,901, 2,600 have been convicted from 5,002 cases, while 2,767 cases are still pending in the courts of law.
“The Commission also seized 59.09 tonnes of cannabis, among other contraband,” said Ms Katongo in a statement, announcing the release of the 2016 DEC annual report.
She said DEC’S anti-money laundering investigations unit last year arrested 57 people for money laundering.
She said the anti-money laundering unit also seized K82,498 and $1,034,451 in counterfeit notes.
Ms Katongo said DEC’S education and counselling department in the period under review sensitised 320,577 people through workplace, community and institutions of learning programmes.
She said under the counseling and rehabilitation programme, 610 people were counseled, out of which 22 were referred to psychiatric units of hospitals countrywide for treatment.
“The common substances abused were cannabis, alcohol, heroin, cocaine, codeine (in cough syrups), tobacco and diazepam (valium),” she said.
Ms Katongo urged members of the public to collaborate with DEC in fighting drug abuse and money laundering to make the country a safe and healthy place.
Ms Katongo attributed the increase in people involving themselves in drug trafficking and consumption to the lure of the temptation to make a quick income.
“Most of them just want to make quick money, either due to unemployment or the notion that they could make a better living out of dealing in drugs,” Ms Katongo said.
She said the Commission’s sensitisation of members of the public on the evils of the vice had contributed to more whistleblowers engaging the DEC on suspected drug syndicates.