Police Recover Illicit Drugs Worth $500 Million

The Government says police have confiscated illicit drugs and substances valued at nearly ZWL$500 million from about 6 000 suspected drug dealers and users since the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Drug and Substance Abuse in 2022.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima, told The Sunday Mail that some of the drugs seized by the tasks are crystal meth, cocaine, Ecstasy, dagga, Adco-Saltarpyn, BronCleer, Histalix and Benylyn. He said:

Regarding supply reduction, the taskforce has managed to conduct surveillance activities across the country, leading to the arrest and prosecution of a cumulative 6 156 accused persons.

This was done through intensified surveillance, under Operation Clean Up Zimbabwe, where the taskforce managed to recover drugs and substances valued at $438 654 692, being crystal meth, cocaine, Ecstasy, dagga, Adco-Saltarpyn, BronCleer, Histalix and Benylyn.

Mavima also said the taskforce undertook surveillance missions at the Beitbridge Border Post, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport and Victoria Falls International Airport.

He said the visits by the taskforce established that the porosity of border posts and airports, limited scanning equipment and limited staff capacity are the major causes of drugs and substances not being detected upon entry into Zimbabwe.

The Government recently established a $500 million drug and substance abuse mitigation fund towards the fight against drug and substance abuse. Said Mavima:

The purpose of the fund is to finance activities of all the pillars in terms of surveillance, awareness raising, capacity-building, purchase of medication, rehabilitation and psycho-social support, as well as community reintegration support.

The fund is administered by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, and all pillars access the funds upon request, in line with the budget and plan.

Additionally, there is room for special requests for additional funds whenever justifiable need arises.

In case you have a son, daughter, friend, or relative who has a problem with drug abuse, the following public psychiatric institutions offer help in fighting drug addiction:

1. Sally Mugabe Psychiatric Unit (Harare)

2. Parirenyatwa Annex Psychiatric Unit (Harare)

3. Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital (Bulawayo)

4. Ngomahuru Hospital and Half-way House (Masvingo)

The following institutions also offer counselling and rehabilitation services for patients battling drug addiction:

1. Highlands Halfway Home +2638644210999

2. Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre +263273790238

3. Serenity Mind Centre +263716825245

4. Tirivanhu Rehabilitation +263773593014

5. Beatrice Rehabilitation Harare

6. Tariro Rehabilitation Centre, Harare

More: Pindula News