BY SANDRA CHUUNGU
In a joint operation with the Lusaka team, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in Kapiri Mposhi intercepted a shipment of psychotropic drugs following an intelligence report from concerned members of the public. 
The operation which commenced at Manyumbi checkpoint and was concluded in Lusaka, led to the discovery of a polythene sack containing 630 stripes with 6,300 tablets of Diazepam, popularly known as Valium, aboard a passenger bus travelling from Kasumbalesa to Lusaka.
The Intelligence report revealed that the drugs, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo via the Kasumbalesa Border, were destined for distribution to some drug dealers in Lusakaโs Chibolya Compound.
Further investigations resulted in a collaborative operation at Lusakaโs Intercity Bus Terminus, culminating in the arrest of two suspects identified as Mbaulu Godfrey, male aged 30, a resident of Chawama Compound in Lusaka, and Francis Katayi, male aged 30, a resident of Kanyama Compound in Lusaka.
In another operation, DEC in Mazabuka District in Southern Province, working alongside the Zambia Police, apprehended two suspects in Monze Central Business District for trafficking in cannabis. Seven plastic bags of dry loose cannabis weighing 5.82 kilogrammes were seized from the suspects, who were traveling from Pemba District with the contraband concealed in public transport. The suspects have been identified as Shadreck Chikandula, male aged 59, a resident of Pemba District and Evans Kabwe, male aged 43, a resident of Monze District.
In another joint operation conducted between the DEC and the Zambia Police Service in Chakanga Village in Chembe District of Luapula Province, officers seized agricultural inputs meant for distribution to farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). The seized items included:
๏ง 79 x 80 kilogramme bags of soya beans
๏ง 65 x 25 kilogramme bags of soya beans
๏ง 7 x 20 kilogramme bags of groundnuts
The inputs were being repackaged for illicit sale. These vices are a threat to national development as they frustrate Governmentโs agricultural sector development agenda.
The DEC has taken keen interest in monitoring the distribution of farming inputs and is working tirelessly with the Zambia Police Service to apprehend the suspects who are currently at large.
These successful operations highlight the resolve by the Drug Enforcement Commission and other Law Enforcement Agencies towards combatting organised crime and safeguarding vital public resources.
The Commission will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to protect communities and uphold the rule of law. Members of the public are encouraged to continue supporting these efforts by providing any information on illicit activities.
