VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLS #0767/01 3070500
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030500Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7406

UNCLAS LUSAKA 000767 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL- John Lyle 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR ZA
SUBJECT: ZAMBIA INCSR 2009-10 Part 1 
 
REF: State 97230 
 
¶1.  Summary 
 
Zambia is not a major producer or exporter of illegal drugs, nor is 
Zambia a significant transit route for drug trafficking.  Cannabis 
is the only illicit drug that is locally cultivated, primarily by 
small-holder farmers.  It is consumed locally and exported 
regionally and to Europe.  Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission 
(DEC) reported a large increase in the number of cannabis seizures 
in the first nine months of 2009 and, for the first time in the past 
four years, reported seizures of cannabis plants and seeds. 
Seizures of other drugs were minimal.  The DEC works closely with 
other Zambian law enforcement and health agencies and has a record 
of good cooperation with the U.S. Government.  As is true of the 
Zambian government generally, the DEC is hampered by a lack of 
resources and capacity.  Zambia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention. 
 
¶2.  Status of Zambia 
 
Based on narcotic seizures and rehabilitation program participation, 
cannabis is the most commonly consumed drug in Zambia.  Consumption 
of more expensive drugs remains relatively low because they are 
beyond the means of the majority of Zambian citizens.  Other drugs 
that are abused in Zambia include heroin, cocaine, and kyat. 
According to the DEC, pharmaceuticals such as diazepam, morphine, 
and phenobarbital are also occasionally used for recreational 
purposes. 
 
Apart from small-scale cultivation of cannabis, Zambia is not a 
source of illegal drugs.  Subsistence farmers grow cannabis from the 
cannabis sativa plant.  Most of this production is exported 
regionally, although some cannabis is also transported by air to 
European countries, including the Netherlands and the United 
Kingdom.  There are no reports or indications of synthetic drug 
production in Zambia. 
 
Although Zambia is not an important route for drug shipments or a 
source of precursor chemicals, it has been a transit point for minor 
amounts of cocaine, raw opium, and heroin.  Zambia is also a transit 
route for small amounts of ephedrine, which is used to manufacture 
methamphetamines that are destined for the Democratic Republic of 
Congo (DRC) and Angola.  Locally consumed cocaine is imported from 
DRC and Angola, whereas kyat and heroin are imported from Tanzania. 
The DEC reports that cocaine transshipping from Angola has increased 
in 2009. 
 
The DEC has reported an increase of all drugs, including ephedrine, 
coming into the country to be "warehoused" in advance of the 2010 
Soccer World Cup to be held in South Africa, but it's information 
appears to be primarily anecdotal, and it has not reported a 
commensurate increase in drug seizures. 
 
¶3.  Zambian Action Against Drugs 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  The DEC leads Zambia's efforts to meet the 
goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention.  Almost all of 
the DEC's interdiction effort is related to cannabis.  Between 
January and September 2009, the DEC arrested and prosecuted 2,283 
people for various illicit drug offenses resulting in 806 
convictions. 
Through September 2009, the DEC seized over 33 metric tons of 
cannabis, compared with 32 metric tons in calendar year 2008.  Three 
metric tons of cannabis plants and 33 kilograms of cannabis seed 
were also seized during this period.  The DEC attributes the 
increase to a refocus of its manpower to interdiction efforts and to 
a program to reward citizens who inform the DEC of drug cultivation 
and sales activities.  In the same 2009 time period, the DEC 
reported seizures of 295 kilograms of kyat and de minimal amounts of 
cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. 
 
Law enforcement officers are also authorized to confiscate licit 
drugs that are transported in large quantities without adequate 
permits.  These include diazepam (valium), diphenylhydramine 
(benadryl), bromazepam, lidocaine, and lorazepam.  Some medical 
practitioners have complained that these enforcement efforts are 
restricting the availability of pharmaceuticals for legitimate 
medical purposes. 
 
Policy Initiatives.  In addition to cannabis eradication, DEC 
programs focus on outreach and education, officer training, drug 
demand reduction, and money-laundering investigations.  Zambia also 
monitors transshipment points and shares information on drug control 
efforts with its neighbors through Joint Permanent Commissions on 
defense and security. 
 
In 2008 the DEC began expanding its presence in rural areas.  It 
currently has 519 officers in offices in all nine provinces, with 
the intention of deploying counter-narcotics officers and 
establishing DEC branches in all 72 districts.  In addition to 
interdiction and eradication activities, the provincial and district 
offices conduct outreach to primary and secondary schools and 
education campaigns to farmers on crop substitution and the dangers 
of cultivating cannabis. 
 
In collaboration with public health institutions, the DEC provides 
counseling and rehabilitation programs to treat and prevent drug 
abuse.  Although an increasing number of Zambians are participating 
in these programs, drug treatment and rehabilitation remains a small 
part of the DEC's activities, and Commission has not conducted a 
nationwide survey to ascertain the extent of narcotics abuse . 
Trained DEC officers from the National Education Campaign Division 
(NECD) provide counseling, and treatment and admission is managed by 
health professionals, hospitals and clinics throughout the country. 
Zambia currently has no dedicated drug treatment and rehabilitation 
facilities.  In 2006, the government provided land seized from a 
cannabis grower to the DEC to construct a rehabilitation center, but 
has not yet provided the funding for construction. 
 
As is the case for most Zambian Government agencies, the DEC's 
efforts are hampered by a lack of funds for training and equipment. 
 
Corruption.  The Zambian Government is focused on strengthening its 
lead anti-corruption agency, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and in 
October 2009 disbanded the Task Force on Corruption, which had been 
formed to prosecute cases of corruption by high-level officials. 
Although the DEC has played a role in the anti-corruption campaign, 
these efforts have had no direct impact on narcotics control.  No 
evidence has emerged to suggest that current government officials 
are involved in the production or trafficking of drugs, although 
several members of parliament, including the government chief whip, 
have previously been implicated in allegations of drug trafficking. 
Zambia's Financial Intelligence Unit, not considered to be up to 
international standards, is housed at the DEC, but the government 
has committed to establishing a new, independent, administrative 
entity to replace it. 
 
Agreements and Treaties.  Zambia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and 
the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 
1972 Protocol.  Regional agreements include the Southern African 
Development Cooperation (SADC) protocol on combating illicit drug 
trafficking and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs 
Cooperation.  Zambia is also a party to the UN Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against 
Corruption.  A 1931 extradition treaty between the United States and 
the UK governs extraditions from Zambia. 
 
Cultivation and Production. Cannabis is the only illicit drug that 
is locally cultivated.  It is used domestically and is exported 
regionally and to Europe. 
 
Drug Flow/Transit.  Some heroin enters Zambia from Tanzania, and 
some South American cocaine enters Zambia from Angola and the DRC. 
The DEC reported an increase in cocaine from Angola in the first 
nine months of 2009. 
 
¶4.  U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
 
The U.S. Government is not engaged in any ongoing programs or policy 
initiatives with the DEC.  However, the U.S. Government provides 
training assistance to Zambian law enforcement agencies, including 
the DEC.  In 2009, the U.S. government continued to sponsor law 
enforcement officers, including officers who are active in narcotics 
control, at the International Law Enforcement Academies in Gaborone, 
Botswana and Roswell, New Mexico. 
 
¶5.  Chemical Control 
(Not applicable) 
 
Booth