The Drug Enforcement Commission received 47 money laundering reports during the first quarter of 2019 while 35 people were arrested from 14 cases involving a total of over K13 million and US$199, 300.
DEC Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo says the Commission further arrested 8 people for being in possession of counterfeit notes amounting to K6, 600 and $100 respectively.
Ms Katongo says 16 convictions were recorded in cases under the Anti-money Laundering Investigations Unit during the quarter under review.
“Common trends observed included an increase in theft by public servant and fraudulent false accounting as predicate offences to money laundering while other typologies noted include increases in self and third party money laundering mostly involving the acquisition of real estate and motor vehicles in the names of the suspects and other persons,” she said.
“The Drug Enforcement Commission in the first quarter of 2019 recorded 1,279 arrests for various drug related offences countrywide, representing a seven (7) per cent reduction from 1, 376 arrests recorded in the same period in 2018.”
She said of the total arrests recorded for drug related offences 1, 206 comprised males and 73 females.
She added that the total arrests also included 78 juveniles.
“Further, of the total arrests, 171 convictions were recorded with 112 cases disposed of through other legal provisions while 996 cases were still pending at various stages of the court process at the end of the quarter under review,” said Ms Katongo.
“The Commission seized cannabis plants, herb and seeds totalling 13.47 tons, compared to 24.76 tons recorded in the same period in 2018, thereby representing a reduction of 45.6% while other seizures included miraa (1.88 tons), ephedrine (7.29Kgs), heroin (7.7 Kgs) and cocaine (0.06 Kgs).”
The DEC Spokeswoman said notable trends unearthed during the quarter included the increase in trafficking of dry miraa from Ethiopia through Zambia as a transit country to Europe, North America, South Africa, Namibia and Angola by identified cartels.
“The Commission through the National Education Campaign Division (NECD) conducted a total of 685 awareness activities from which a total of 130, 051 people were sensitised through institutions of learning, community and workplace programmes as part of the drug demand reduction strategy. Further, the Commission attended to 251 clients aged between 13 and 44 years under the counselling and reintegration programme, with the primary drugs of abuse being cannabis, alcohol, heroin and codeine,” she said.
Ms Katongo further said the Commission has continued to monitor the trends of drug trafficking and money laundering with a view to curtailing the illicit vices as mandated in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act (Chapter 96) of the Laws of Zambia.
“The Commission has since scaled up efforts aimed at detecting illicit drug and money laundering activities through collaboration with other security wings and various stakeholders. We wish to warn perpetrators behind the vices of drug cultivation and trafficking to desist from the acts with the harvest season fast approaching as the Commission will be on hand to ensure all offenders are brought to book,” she said.
“The Commission would like to thank its cooperating partners, other law enforcement agencies, members of the public and the media for the support received during the period under review. We urge members of the public to continue supporting the Commission even in the rest of the year.”