DEC arrests Kitwe family over cocaine

A BUSINESS woman and three of her family members of Kitwe have been arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for trafficking in cocaine and attempting to bribe a DEC officer.

DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo said, Lizzy Chuba Chileshe, 30, of House number 2880, Chimwemwe Township in Kitwe was arrested for allegedly trafficking in 7.55 grams of cocaine.

She said the woman has been on the DEC dragnet for a long time before she was apprehended from Chililabombwe.

Other three members of the family are Moses Chuba Chileshe, 40, Danny Chuba Chileshe, 28, and Brian Mwansa, 42, who allegedly attempted to bribe a DEC officer with K10, 000 to have Chileshe released.

She said the case involving the trio has since been handed over to the Anti-Corruption Commission for more investigations and possible prosecution.

Ms Katongo also said DEC arrested five people in Lusaka or impersonation of DEC, Zambia Revenue Authority and Zambia Information and Communication Technology officers.

She identified the alleged impersonators as Donald Chimase, 26, Lyson Ngoma, 25, Kalata Chanda, 26, Nicholas Mwansa, 25, and 26 year-old Jimmy Ashly Sichimba.

Ms Katongo said the five were picked from Carousel Shopping Mall where they had gone to demand money from a Chinese who owns a shop by purporting that they were officers from DEC, ZRA and ZICTA.

Initially, the suspects had extorted K30, 000 from the same shop owner and had taken with them two laptops, a CCTV server and control unit.