The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested 62 peasant farmers countrywide and seized over 10 tonnes of cannabis in the last seven days.
DEC public relations officer John Nyawali disclosed this during a media briefing in Kitwe today. Mr Nyawali said the latest arrest was made yesterday when the Commission arrested two peasant farmers of Kasata farming block in Chingola district who were found with 2.8 tonnes of cannabis field.
The two farmers, Kelvin Kabimbi and Tandeo Mwena, both aged 25 years, were cornered in an operation conducted by the DEC officers. Mr Nyawali said the seizure in Chingola was the largest on the Copperbelt in the last five years.
He said the commission has also arrested 60 people country wide in the last one week after an operation in which 7.3 tonnes of various psychotropic substances were confiscated.
He said among the people arrested was one inmate of Mukobeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe, who was found with 19 balls of cannabis, and a grade 10 pupil of Imbolela high school in Serenje district, who was also found with 10 rolls of the banned drug.
Mr. Nyawali said the cultivation of cannabis in the country has reached alarming levels. He has since appealed to farmers in the country to concentrate on growing cash crops which would sustain their food security and not engage in growing illegal drugs.
ZANIS
give them more money to grow food and the banks in zambia shoud do more in farming.i can see thet more peoper er sheing the same gods,who is going to bye .the more food we grow the batter life you have.you earn more money by growing cannabis,yes we know about it.what are you going to do.
iye ifyamba, awe nalileka kale bane. twali kuka donsa :-\” during my youth bane. at one tym i remember umunandi he hit the joint next thing twalimu office mwaba headmaster and my friend took out his belt and whipped ba headmaster.. nali jayd ine instead of stopping him , i laughed so hard that i urinated on myself awe those were the days bane. sad that friend of mine alipena as we are toking. deuces bane:)>-