THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has stumbled upon a puzzling treasure trove, and they are putting the public to the test.
Five commercial buses, collectively valued at over 1.1 million Kwacha, have been seized, along with a fully furnished house in Lusaka.
However, the ownership trail has gone cold.
“We were able to connect these assets to an arrest made in July 2023 involving seven individuals found with hard drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and diazepam.”
The seized buses, bearing registration numbers AID 734, BAH 1188, AQB 957, AIC 1975, and BAV 2165, were registered under unidentified individuals who have vanished.
“They’ve switched off their phones and gone into hiding,” said Mulenga, “including the person who used to collect cash from the bus drivers.”
The house adds another layer of mystery.
“Investigations revealed it wasn’t registered with local authorities,” Mulenga continued, “but instead registered under a power utility company using a known individual’s details. However, this individual denies ownership.”
With the registered owners seemingly vanished, the DEC is taking action. “We’ve initiated the forfeiture process of these assets to the state,” Mulenga stated. “However, the public has six months to come forward and claim ownership if they can provide legitimate proof.”
The bus and house seizure wasn’t the only recent DEC success. Mulenga highlighted other operations: in Livingstone Two trucks carrying a total of 142 boxes of Benlyn with Codeine, en route from South Africa, were intercepted at the Victoria Falls border.
Two suspects, the truck drivers, have been identified and charged.
In Lusaka, a Somali national was apprehended for trafficking in Khat Miraa, and the drugs along with the used vehicle were confiscated.
Meanwhile, In Western Province, a man was arrested for cultivating over 150 kilograms of fresh cannabis plants and possessing additional dry cannabis.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba February 22, 2024.
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