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Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General, Nason Banda, has dismissed claims that the summoning of Lusaka Catholic Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda is politically or religiously motivated, saying the matter should not be viewed through political or religious lenses.
Banda said the decision to summon the Archbishop was part of routine investigative procedures and had nothing to do with intimidation or persecution.
According to a call-out circulating on social media platforms, which Banda confirmed, Archbishop Banda has been summoned to appear at DEC offices in Lusaka for questioning in connection with motor vehicles belonging to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) that were seized during investigations into illegally disposed government assets and later found in his possession.
Speaking during a New Year briefing in Lusaka on Thursday, Banda said calling individuals for interviews was standard procedure and did not automatically lead to prosecution.
“This has nothing to do with politics or religion. I am an active Catholic myself. Calling the Archbishop of Lusaka for interviews is normal procedure, and it is not always that whoever is called by DEC for clarification will end up in court,” Banda said in response to journalists’ questions.
He added that such call-outs were not meant to be public and expressed hope that the Archbishop would present himself without unnecessary escorts.
Banda also used the briefing to outline the Commission’s 2025 operational performance, revealing record achievements in drug supply reduction.
He said DEC interventions during the period under review focused on intelligence gathering and investigations into illicit drug cultivation, production, trafficking, possession and abuse.
Banda disclosed that between January 1 and November 30, 2025, the Commission received a total of 4,638 reports linked to suspected drug-related offences, out of which 4,456 investigations were commenced.
This represented a 4.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, when 4,421 reports were received and 3,893 investigations were initiated.
He attributed the rise in reports to enhanced collaboration with local and international law enforcement agencies, as well as improved cooperation from the general public.
In terms of drug seizures, Banda said the Commission recorded an all-time annual record high of over 1,800 tonnes of illegal and controlled drugs seized countrywide in 2025.
He said the seizures included 13,156.87 kilograms of cannabis, 1,870,937.20 kilograms of cannabis plants, 997.86 kilograms of cannabis seeds, 474.8 kilograms of miraa, 2.97 kilograms of Benylin with codeine, and 648.6 grams of cocaine.
Banda said the seizures represented an aggregated increase of over 4,000 percent compared to 2024, when the Commission seized just over 42,000 kilograms of various drugs.
He noted that the 2025 seizures were the highest recorded since the Commission’s establishment in 1989, with the largest discovery involving more than 1,500 tonnes of cannabis plants uncovered in the Chifwema area of Kafue District in Lusaka Province.
On arrests, Banda said joint operations involving other law enforcement agencies and members of the public resulted in the arrest of 4,750 people for various drug-related offences during the review period.
This reflected a 0.5 percent decrease compared to 4,728 arrests recorded in 2024.
Out of the 4,750 people arrested, 911 were convicted, 21 were acquitted, and 29 were discharged under various conditions, while 3,789 cases were still before the courts at different stages by the end of the review period.
Banda further disclosed that 125 drug cartels involved in local and international trafficking activities were identified, of which 102 were dismantled, representing an 81.6 percent success rate.
Through the Anti–Money Laundering Investigations Unit (AMLIU), Banda said the Commission continued contributing to national development through the recovery of stolen public assets.
He said assets valued at over K24 million and US$2 million were placed under seizure, with most cases still undergoing investigative and judicial processes, while the majority were already before the courts.
The Commission also seized 56 motor vehicles, of which eight were forfeited to the State, while 48 remained subject to ongoing investigations and court proceedings.
In addition, Banda said the DEC successfully secured the forfeiture of two helicopters, which have since been handed over to the Zambia Air Force to support its operations.
In the real estate sector, a total of 107 properties, comprising 83 houses and 24 pieces of land, were seized. Out of these, three properties were forfeited to the State, while the remainder were still undergoing investigative and judicial processes at the close of the review period.
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