Kitwe businesswoman nabbed for cocaine trafficking, another held with K280,000 counterfeit cash

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested a 36-year-old Kitwe businesswoman, Khadija Mingel, for trafficking in 25 pellets of cocaine weighing 500 grammes.

DEC Public Relations Officer, Allan Tamba, said in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday that Mingel had been on the Commission’s watch list for some time, suspected of being a notorious drug supplier operating in the North-Western and Copperbelt Provinces.

He said the cocaine was discovered in a Toyota Mark X vehicle that the suspect was driving, which had since been seized.

Tamba said the arrest followed a complex, strategic operation aimed at disrupting criminal networks involved in illicit drug activities.

“The long arm of the law will soon catch up with all offenders,” he warned.

He further urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the Commission to strengthen efforts in detecting and preventing crime through community cooperation.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Chipata District, Eastern Province, DEC arrested a 62-year-old man for possession of K280,000 in counterfeit Zambian currency, all in K500 denominations.

The suspect has been identified as Hamusonde Fuehrer, a resident of Hillview area in Chipata.

“We wish to caution members of the public, particularly farmers, to be vigilant when selling their produce to briefcase buyers, especially during this harvest season,” Tamba said.

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