DEC officer testifies in Bolivian man’s cocaine case

AN assistant security officer at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) operating at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrates Court that the airport has recorded many cases of people importing narcotic drugs using Angolan Airlines.

Melanji Jacqueline Nyambose Sakala, 32, was testifying before Magistrate Mwandu Sakala during trial in a case in which a Bolivian national, Veizaga Arias Steven, is charged for trafficking and importing 2.1kg of cocaine wrapped in condoms and concealed in 55 bottles of roll-on body deodorant.

Ms Sakala told the court that when she reported for work on February 18 2018, she saw a suspicious looking man trekking to and from the toilets at the airport.

She said when she saw him moving aimlessly she became suspicious and went to collect a manifest list of incoming people from the Angolan Airlines.

Ms Sakala told the court that most of the culprits using the Airline came from Brazil.

She said she and her workmate, Alex Ndelementi, asked the suspect to have his bag searched.

Ms Sakala conducted the search and found five Khaki boxes containing the bottles branded ‘Rexona’.

“The boxes were a bit wet and we became more suspicious and went to the DEC offices at the airport to search further.

“When we arrived at the offices, my colleague Mr Ndelementi conducted the search and we found 55 bottles containing cocaine wrapped in condoms and 5 bottles of roll- on from the 5 boxes,’ she testified.

She said the suspect accepted being in possession of the items.

It is alleged that, Veizaga Arias Steven, on February 18 2018 did traffick and import 2.1kg of cocaine wrapped in condoms and concealed in fifty five roll- on bottles.

The matter comes up on March 23 for continued trial