Intensify fight against drug trafficking, Africa told

THE African region and international players should enhance the fight against drug trafficking and transnational organised crimes, Defence Minister Davis Chama has said.

And Mr Chama has assured the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) of government’s support to ensure its operations were enhanced.

Meanwhile, US ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote has charged that, Zambia is ideally situated for transnational organised crime.

Speaking at the official opening of the 3rd African Multinational Drug Enforcement Coordination (AMDEC) Meeting in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Chama said the range at which drug markets were expanding globally was challenging.

Mr Chama said markets for drugs traffickers and transnational organised crimes were expanding beyond their usual regions.

He said with such challenges, Zambia had also seen an increase in the use of illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine and that other drugs that contain codeine were equally on the rise.

“Adverse effects of illicit drugs on our society cannot be overemphasized. According to World Health (WHO) about 450,000 people died as a result of drugs of which 157, 750 were caused because of overdose and the rest were injuries caused by drug abuse,” he said.

“To prevent the adverse effects on abuse of drugs and deaths, countries, the regions and the international community ought to step up its responses,” said Mr Chama.

He added that international action was essential as drug pushers were now operating across regional boundaries.

“Zambia remains ready to do her part in combatting drug trafficking and transnational organised crimes. We are ready to share information with other countries, and to share bilateral and international cooperation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Foote has said, Zambia was ideally situated for transnational organised crime. “We need more collaboration to ensure we can take on these drug pushers and organised crimes...without that and AMDEC we cannot but together we can win this,” he said.

DEC Commissioner Alitah Mbahwe thanked the US government through the Drug Enforcement Commission Regional Administration and AMDEC for allowing Zambia to host the meeting.

Ms Mbahwe said that this was the third meeting that AMDEC was hosting.

She expressed happiness that AMDEC has continued to grow from its initial nine member countries when it started with the first meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.