By CHILA NAMAIKO –

THE Choma Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 31-year-old man to two-year imprisonment with hard labour for trafficking in marijuana which he claimed he was using to treat his chickens at home.

Moonde Mudenda of Chibune Village in Chief Singani’s area in Choma was charged with one count of trafficking in a psychotropic substance.

Mudenda was on December 20 this year found with 14.41 Kilogrammes of marijuana after officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) searched his house and was arrested for being in possession of the substance without lawful authority.

The officers also found K1,800 cash and a drum containing diesel inside Mudenda’s house which were believed to have been acquired from the trafficking of marijuana.

Mudenda pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared in court on Tuesday before Magistrate Mbololwa Mukela but argued that he was using the marijuana to treat his chickens against diseases.

In his mitigation, Mudenda asked for maximum leniency from the court because if he was sent to jail, his family would suffer.

“Your Honour, I plead guilty to the charge. I have learnt a lesson that unlawful trafficking of marijuana is a serious offence and if I am jailed my family will really suffer,” he said.

Ms Mbololwa, however, said trafficking in marijuana was a serious offence and that cases of psychotropic substances had become rampant and the court was there to protect society.

The K1,800 that was seized from Mudenda by DEC officers would be forfeited to the State as it was believed to be proceeds of crime.

“You knew you had a family to take care of but of all things you decided to trade in illegal business. I will send you where you wanted to go, the court is there to impose stiffer punishments for other people to learn a lesson,” she said.

In the same court, Saudi Mwenda, a resident of Maamba in Sinazongwe was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for trafficking in marijuana.