DEC saves farmers from harvesting fake greens in counterfeit bust

LUSAKA residents, Joy Sichone and Sharon Namonje’s dreams of a fruitful harvest were cut short after their attempt to empower themselves landed them in hot water.

The duo, instead of reaping a bounty of crops, ended up sowing seeds of trouble by trying to buy maize and soybeans with counterfeit Zambian Kwacha notes.

Sichone, 51, from Zingalume Compound, and Namonje, 27, of Garden House, were apprehended at a fuel station along Mungwi Road.

Their self-empowerment scheme hit a brick wall when a team from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) discovered K145,800 in their possession was peculiar, raising the duet for suspicion.

The inspectors, with noses keen for sniffing out financial falsehoods, noticed something fishy about the funds.

Sichone and Namonje’s plan to cultivate a profitable harvest using fake bills quickly wilted under questioning.

And later, they revealed they were on their way to buy maize and soybeans, hoping to make their financial crop flourish.

“This matter is part of a syndicate of scammers buying maize and soya beans during evening times using counterfeit currency.” DEC’s public relations officer, Allan Tamba disclosed.

Sichone and Namonje now face charges under Section 358 of the Penal Code Act, with their dreams of a self-made harvest replaced with the bitter fruit of their actions.

By Elesani Phiri

Kalemba, June 21, 2024