The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested a 39-year-old man identified as a cartel leader involved in drug trafficking across multiple countries. The suspect, Dickson Phiri, who is also known as a gospel artist based in South Africa, was apprehended in Kazungula with a significant quantity of high-grade cannabis.
Phiri was intercepted while driving his Hino truck, bearing registration number BLC 6584 ZM, en route to Zambia from South Africa. DEC public relations officer Allan Tamba confirmed that the operation led to the discovery of 38 bundles of high-grade cannabis weighing 41.5 kilograms hidden in the truck.
“Phiri is a known cartel leader who has been operating in South Africa, India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Eswatini, Bangladesh, and Pakistan,” Tamba said. “He has been actively recruiting Zambian women into drug trafficking networks, which has placed him on the Zambian watch-list for some time.”
Phiri’s arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, as he has been a key figure in a complex and far-reaching network that has posed a considerable threat across several countries. The DEC continues to intensify efforts to dismantle such criminal networks and bring those involved to justice.
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested a 39-year-old man identified as a cartel leader involved in drug trafficking across multiple countries. The suspect, Dickson Phiri, who is also known as a gospel artist based in South Africa, was apprehended in Kazungula with a significant quantity of high-grade cannabis.
Phiri was intercepted while driving his Hino truck, bearing registration number BLC 6584 ZM, en route to Zambia from South Africa. DEC public relations officer Allan Tamba confirmed that the operation led to the discovery of 38 bundles of high-grade cannabis weighing 41.5 kilograms hidden in the truck.
“Phiri is a known cartel leader who has been operating in South Africa, India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Eswatini, Bangladesh, and Pakistan,” Tamba said. “He has been actively recruiting Zambian women into drug trafficking networks, which has placed him on the Zambian watch-list for some time.”
Phiri’s arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, as he has been a key figure in a complex and far-reaching network that has posed a considerable threat across several countries. The DEC continues to intensify efforts to dismantle such criminal networks and bring those involved to justice.