YEAR IN REVIEW: MALAWI POLICE IN NKHOTAKOTA APPREHENDED 41 PEOPLE OVER INDIAN HEMP IN 2014 ALONE By WILLIAMS KAPONDA, NKHOTAKOTA POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER As the year 2014 comes to an end, Statistics at Nkhotakota police shows that 41 people have been arrested over illegal possession of Indian hemp locally known as Chamba. The court managed to convict 20 of them and this success has been attributed to the relationship the Police has with the general public and hardworking officers. From January 1 to December 30, 2014, police have since arrested 41 people answering charges of being found in possession of Cannabis sativa without license, of which 32 are men while 9 are women. The convicts and the suspects are aged between 20 and 35 and among the group seven of which are teenagers. As of December, 20 were sentenced and convicted currently serving their jail terms in different prisons while others were fined. Out of the number, 17 are remanded at Nkhotakota prison as their cases are still in courts, 2 were acquitted by the courts while 3 are on police bails. Most of the arrests occurred at Kaombe police roadblock while others were apprehended in rest houses, on snap roadblocks, others were caught unaware on uncharted routes and during several sweeping exercises police conducted in the district. Among the remarkable incidents in the year, police arrested a British national James Daniel Mickey 34, who was found with 362 black plastic jumbos containing the illicit drug concealed in an engine boat trailer, registration number ACK 9978 as he was coming from Dwangwa direction heading towards Salima. Other incident includes the 43 bags of 50 kilograms each was intercepted loaded with Indian hemp in a mini-bus registration number BLK 2586 at Kaombe police roadblock and James Kamanga 32 was instantly arrested. It took police to shoot the left tyre of the mini-bus to apprehend Kamanga who was again travelling coming from Dwangwa heading Salima. James Kamanga hails from Kaipa village in the area of traditional authority (T/A) Kapeni in Blantyre. On the challenges, there have been in adequate resources which include fuel among others. This has been so due to the reduced funding. Secondly, there are some unpatriotic citizens in the district who assist or hide the traffickers’ identities apart from the many uncharted routes which hemp traffickers use diverting Kaombe police roadblock. Found in possession of Cannabis sativa without license is contrary to section 4(a) of Dangerous Drug Regulation and 19 (1) of the Dangerous Drug Act. Police is therefore appealing to the general public to assist in combating the dangerous drug in the year 2015. Police alone cannot manage it; as such the general public should come forthwith with information that can lead to the arrest of the hemp traffickers since the drug is very dangerous hence there is need people to engage in legal businesses. Police have so far put in an initiative where anyone whose report will lead to the arrest of traffickers shall be rewarded accordingly. Lastly, police asks well-wishers to come to their rescue to bring electricity at Kaombe police roadblock which will enhance the police work more effectively hence more positive results. Indian hemp aka Chamba is commonly grown in the Lake shore district of Nkhotakota.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:10:47 +0000
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