Zambia+Illicit+Drugs

The country's drug problems first came into the public limelight in 1985 when some 25 major Zambians were apprehended on charges of trafficking and a tribunal was set up to investigate the charges. "It was from this tribunal that the country noticed that something had gone wrong with the economy and the people were using drugs ... to buy motor vehicles and other luxury goods," says DEC Senior Assistant Commissioner Mukutulu Sinyani. Cannabis, grown in the country, it tops the list of illicit drugs. DEC is dealing with the problem through a cannabis eradication program and crop replacement for peasant farmers dependent on it. Other drugs that have emerged on the Zambian market include heroin, hashish, cocaine and mandrax.
 * Home Page: Zambia**  A decade ago, Zambia was a simple transportation point for illicit drugs destined for nearby South Africa. Today, it is a gateway and distribution center for drugs going to Europe and North America. Drug trafficking has increased substantially, luring some Zambians in search of quick money. The country's Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) says trafficking has multiplied more than a thousand times over the past seven years.

Also known as methaqualone, mandrax is smuggled from the Indian sub-continent, and is such a popular product, that it is used as an exchange for goods and services. It is exchanged for groceries and other household items in South Africa, which are then transported to Zambia. An increasing number of Zambians are arrested for trafficking, of whom the majority are women. For example, 80 percent of the Zambians arrested abroad in 1996 and 75 percent of those arrested in 1997 were women. Another problem associated with drug trafficking is money laundering. Investigations by DEC show that the high rate of bank fraud in the country is a result of laundering activities.