Zambia arrested an increasing number of people for drug-related offenses in 2016 compared to the previous year, its agency responsible for drugs management said Thursday.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) said the number of people arrested last year climbed to 5,901, a 9.8-percent increase from 5,374 in 2015.

The figure included 5,480 males and 421 females. Among them 271 were juveniles, it said in its annual report for 2016.

The agency further said the number of foreign nationals arrested for drug-related offenses dropped by 33.3 percent to 140 from 210 in the previous year.

The agency also seized about 59 tonnes of cannabis during the year, representing a 55.3-percent reduction, among other drugs including miraa, cocaine and pseudoephedrine. 

source: Xinhua