Court jails Zambian 7 years for drug trafficking in Ethiopia

A 20-year-old Zambian man has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Ethiopia for trafficking in narcotic drugs.

Maliki Phiri of Lusaka was sentenced on August 2, 2023 for being in possession of 1.0 kilogrammes (Kg) of Cocaine, which was concealed in pairs of shoes he was carrying in his bag.

This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday by First Secretary for Press and Tourism at the Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia, Inutu Mwanza.

Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rose Sakala, who confirmed the development, said Phiri was arrested on June 20, 2022 at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia while in transit to India.

She said facts on the matter indicate that Phiri was given the bag containing drugs by a Nigerian national resident in Zambia at an unidentified Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for onward delivery to India.

“When Phiri appeared in court, he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking but maintained that he could not recognize the gentleman who handed him the said drugs,” Sakala said.

She called for enhanced awareness campaigns among Zambian travelers considering that the Ethiopian Government has heightened surveillance measures to curb drug trafficking in view of increased cases.

“There is need for more sensitization against Zambians being used as conduits to transport unknown parcels,” Sakala said.

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