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DEC releases Money Laundering Investigations report

• DEC in the year 2020 investigated money laundering related cases involving over K219 million.
• Reports on different predicate offences to money laundering came from the public and private sectors.
• Commission seized 103 real estate properties, 72 motor vehicles, and over K104 million held in various bank accounts.

Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) says money laundering related cases involving over K219 million Zambian, 25 million Great British Pounds and over 3.6 million United States Dollars were investigated last year.
Commission Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo disclosed to Money FM News that this resulted in the arrest of 123 people countrywide.
Ms. Katongo said the reported money laundering activities came from the public and private sectors where 57% involved various frauds, 29% theft and embezzlement, and 14% other types of predicate offences.

She further revealed that in the same year, the Commission seized a total of 103 real estate properties, 72 motor vehicles, over K104 million held in various bank accounts and cash amounts of 607, 841 United States Dollars, K1, 900 and 31, 000 Tanzanian Shillings.

“The reports on different predicate offences to money laundering came from the public and private sectors where 57% involved various frauds, 29% theft/embezzlement, and 14% other types of predicate offences all amounting to 25, 000 000 Great British Pounds, K219, 471,184.51 and USD 3, 677,716.24.”

“Further, the Commission through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit (AMLIU) seized a total of one hundred and three (103) real estate properties (land and buildings), seventy-two (72) motor vehicles, K104, 943, 262 held in various bank accounts and cash amounts of 607, 841.40 United States Dollars, K1, 900 and 31, 000 Tanzanian Shillings, Ms. Katongo revealed.

Ms. Katongo stated that all the seized items were as a result of the commenced investigations, which proved beyond reasonable doubt to be proceeds of crime.
She however said DEC concluded a total of 138 cases last year which led to the arrest of 123 persons in 71 cases for money laundering related offences involving K 111, 984,089.58 and USD 6,000.
And Ms. Katongo said a total of K177, 300 and USD 96,700 counterfeit notes were seized in the year under review.

She noted that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission managed to attend to 777 clients under the counselling and reintegration programme compared to 2019 where 797 clients were attended to.

Ms. Katongo said the clients were aged between 13 and 51 years, with the primary drugs of abuse being cannabis, alcohol, heroin and codeine.

“In terms of drug related offences, the Commission arrested a total of 4,335 persons in 2020 comprising 4,060 males and 275 females as compared to 2019 where 5 352 persons were arrested. Juveniles accounted for 316 while foreign nationals were 64.”
“Drugs seized in 2020 included 99.74 tonnes of Cannabis compared to 2019 where 135.08 tonnes was seized thereby recording a 26 per cent decrease. Other drugs seized included 228.23Kg of Khat miraa, 1.86kg of Heroin, 606.06 grams of Cocaine, 3.09 grams of Codeine, 102.44 grams of diazepam, 2.41kg of Hashish cake, 26.45litres of Hashish oil and 1.96kg of Lidocaine.”
She emphasized that the Commission is determined to continue working towards its mandate and serving the Zambian people through teamwork, collaboration and consultation with various stakeholders.

“The year 2020 was dubbed under the theme ‘Service Excellence in a Dynamic Environment’ and the Commission is happy that despite the COVID-19 pandemic which affected most of our operations we still managed to execute our mandate by embracing new ideas in achieving some of our set goals.”

“Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 also posed other challenges such as the gassing incidents that affected the effective collection of information from contacts/agents and the execution of other operations,” she said.

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