From Africa Recovery, Vol.12#1 (August 1998), page 8 (box within article on drugs in Africa)

Zambia emerges as a gateway

By Mildred Mulenga

A decade ago, Zambia was a mere transit point for illicit drugs destined for nearby South Africa. Today, it is a gateway and distribution centre for drugs going to Europe and North America. Fueled by rapid urbanization and economic hardships, 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.

The country's drug problems first came into the public limelight in 1985 when some 25 prominent Zambians were detained 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, tops the list of illicit drugs. DEC is dealing with the problem through a cannabis eradication programme and crop substitution for peasant farmers dependent on it. Other drugs that have emerged on the Zambian market include heroin, hashish, cocaine and mandrax.

Also known as methaqualone, mandrax is smuggled from the Indian sub-continent, and is such a hot commodity that it is used as a medium of exchange for goods and services. It is exchanged for groceries and other household goods in South Africa, which are then transported to Zambia.

An increasing number of Zambians are arrested for trafficking, of whom the majority of couriers are women. For example, 80 per cent of the Zambians arrested abroad in 1996 and 75 per cent 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 by-product of laundering activities. In the past year, DEC has seized more than $5 mn in connection with irregular financial transactions. In January 1998 alone, DEC seized about $3 mn from one bank for involvement in money laundering. The bank has since been closed. DEC has recommended that the government should urgently enact an anti-money laundering law.

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