Bindura (New Ziana) -The Zimbabwe Republic Police has seized drugs and other illegal substances worth an estimated ZWL$3.5 billion since the beginning of this year.

In the process, 13 522 people were arrested with Harare province contributing 8 697 of the culprits.

Most of the culprits were caught with either cannabis (mbanje), crystal methyl (mutoriro) or bronchlear syrup (bronco).

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said the majority of the culprits were the economically active and productive youths and in some instances children as young as 10 years.

“We need to be very serious in fighting this scourge. I am beginning to think that our detractors are behind this increased easy accessibility of drugs across the country mainly to the productive age so that they derail their future. Remember our youths are the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

“They might want to destroy their mental health so that they can come back. Let us join hands together as government Ministries, departments, agencies and churches as well as non-governmental organisations in fighting the scourge.”

Kazembe urged the Inter-Ministerial taskforce on drugs to up its game in fighting the accessibility of drugs as well as disseminating information on their effects.

He said his Ministry, which is in charge of the ZRP, has since decentralized the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit to all the 10 provinces to get rid of suppliers and consumers of drugs.

“They are now at all ports of entry and exit in the country that is at Beit bridge, Forbes Border Post as well as at all international airports,” he said.

Zimbabwe experienced an alarming rise in the use of drugs and other illicit substances during the COVID-19 lock downs and the government has since declared war on the scourge with President Emmerson Mnagagwa ordering law enforcement agents to flush out peddlers and courts to impose stiff penalties.

New Ziana