The Chipata Magistrates’ Court sitting in Mfuwe under Mambwe District has convicted 13 people for trafficking in loose cannabis, cannabis seeds and unlawful cultivation of fresh cannabis plants.

And a 50-year-old man, popularly known as “satana” and his wife, have been sentenced to three and two years, respectively, for trafficking in 136.5 kilogrammes of dry loose cannabis.

In a statement issued, Monday, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) acting public relations officer Kamufisa Manchishi stated that of the 13, the court sentenced seven to two years imprisonment for trafficking in 11.08 tonnes of loose cannabis and one year for cultivation of fresh cannabis plants weighing 94 tonnes, whose sentences would run concurrently.

He further stated that a 54-year-old woman had been sentenced to one year simple imprisonment for the same charges, while five juveniles had since been placed on probation for a year.

“The seven are identified as Stanley Kazembe, 50, popularly known as “satana”, Madson Manda, 31, Maxson Chilando, 43 of Kamwendo village, while others are Bishirt Banda, 65, Zeddy Mumba, 44, Rudoh Ngosa, 25 and Desho Mwape, 25, of Mumpamanzi village. Others convicted in the same court include Febby Banda, 54, who has been sentenced to one year simple imprisonment for the same charges, while five juveniles have since been placed on probation for one year under the Mpika Social Welfare Office,” Manchishi narrated.

And Manchishi stated that a 50-year-old man, Stanley Kazembe, popularly known as “satana” and his wife, had been sentenced to three and two years, respectively, for trafficking in 136.5 kilogrammes of dry, loose cannabis.

He stated that the court had further sentenced a 44-year-old man, Zeddy Mumba, to 18 months imprisonment for trafficking in 186.4 kilogrammes of dry loose cannabis.

“Meanwhile, the court has further sentenced Zeddy Mumba to 18 months for trafficking in 186.4 kilogrammes of dry, loose cannabis, while two juveniles he was jointly-charged with have been put on one year probation. Other sentences include: Stanley Kazembe and wife Febby Banda, who have been sentenced to three years and two years, respectively, for trafficking in 136.5 kilogrammes of dry, loose cannabis, while Rudoh Ngosa, Desho Mwape and Madson Manda have been sentenced to four months and Maxson Chilando to two weeks with hard labour for trafficking in 0.9 grammes of loose cannabis with all the sentences to run concurrently,” he stated.

Manchishi stated that in passing judgement, Magistrate Lubutwe Hara said she had taken note of the sensitisation conducted by DEC in the area since 2012 with government officials to persuade the people against cultivating cannabis, and that the sentences should serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.

“The 13 convicts were nabbed in four major operations conducted by DEC, Zambia Police and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in the area leading to the discovery of several fields of cannabis believed to be supplying various towns in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Eastern provinces. The contraband has since been destroyed in an exercise conducted in Mfuwe on Sunday, 21st October, 2018, witnessed by DEC officers, the Senior Clerk of Court, officers from the Ministry of Health, Zambia Police, National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) as well as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife,” stated Manchishi.