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The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested three Zimbabwean nationals and several Zambians in a series of coordinated operations across the country between April 4 and May 5, 2025, targeting drug-related offences.
In a statement issued Thursday, DEC Spokesperson, Allan Tamba, said the operations yielded multiple arrests in Southern, North-Western, Central, and Copperbelt provinces, with large quantities of cannabis, cocaine, and suspected controlled substances seized.
In Choma District, Southern Province, the Commission arrested 72-year-old Saison Simwemba for cultivating cannabis weighing 1.4 tonnes and trafficking in three bags of loose cannabis weighing 86.3 kilograms.
In Zambezi District, North-Western Province, officers arrested 47-year-old Teddy Chiwaya of Wisdom Compound after finding him with 54 kilograms of loose cannabis, 1 kilogram of cannabis seeds, and 30 kilograms of cannabis under cultivation.
In a joint operation between Chirundu and Lusaka, 27-year-old Joe Mabenga was arrested for trafficking in eight pre-packs of compressed cannabis weighing 18.6 kilogrammes.
Also in Lusaka, Zimbabwean national Precious Tsunda, 29, was apprehended at Inter-City Bus Terminus while travelling from South Africa. She was found with 11 pre-packs of cannabis weighing 10.2 kilogrammes.
In another operation, two Zimbabwean students at a named Zambian higher learning institution—Tawananyasha Makore, 20, and Tadiwanashe Mugwagwa, 19—were arrested after attempting to collect a parcel disguised as groceries containing 1.7 kilogrammes of cannabis.
“This incident highlights the increasing deceptive tactics being employed by traffickers, including the use of unsuspecting public transportation services,” Tamba said.
In Kazungula, DEC arrested 33-year-old James Chiyuka for illegally importing six boxes of suspected Benylin with codeine and six pre-packs of cannabis weighing 6.1 kilograms.
In Mazabuka, two 21-year-old men, Joshua Muzyamba and Brighton Nkedi, were arrested for trafficking 611 sachets and 10 pre-packs of cannabis, totaling 2.14 kilograms.
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In a separate operation in the same district, 32-year-old Febby Hatukupa was arrested for trafficking 1.1 kilograms of cannabis.
On the Copperbelt, a Kitwe-based taxi driver, John Banda, 28, was arrested for trafficking 26 grams of cocaine hidden in plastic bags beneath the gear lever of a Toyota IST vehicle, registration BCH 636.
Two other suspects, Moses Chibwe, 33, and Vena Kanema, 20, were jointly arrested for trafficking 1.2 kilograms of loose cannabis.
Tamba reiterated DEC’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking, warning that Zambia will not be used as a transit point or consumer base for illicit drugs.
He called on the public to report suspicious activities, emphasizing that the fight against drug trafficking and abuse required collective action.
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