90 year old woman arrested
24 Dec 2009
By YANDE KAPEYATHE Drug Enforcment Commission (DEC) has arrested a 90-year-old woman of Kabwe for alleged drug trafficking.
Sineya Mulenga of Wire township was arrested for allegedly possessing cannabis in her house.
DEC spokesperson John Nyawali said this in a statement in Lusaka yesterday.
This is the second time Ms Mulenga has been arrested, the first having been four years ago when she was jailed for five months after being found guilty of a drug trafficking offence.
She is currently detained in police custody and will appear in court today.
Meanwhile, the commission has warned members of the public it will prosecute anyone in possession of illicit drugs regardless of their age and physical status.
This is against the backdrop of an increasing number of disabled people being arrested for drug trafficking.
Mr Nyawali said it is regrettable that a number of vulnerable members of the public are being used as drug couriers.
“It is a regrettable situation where we have seen an increasing number of physically challenged and elderly people being used as drug couriers by some thoughtless members of society who have added more misery to these people as drug trafficking is a non-bailable offence and normally attracts custodial sentence.
“All progressive members of society are called upon to rise to this unfortunate situation and help in the fight against drug trafficking by reporting drug barons who are using innocent people as couriers,” Mr Nyawali said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
