A lady has been arrested in Zambia after she was found in possession of cocaine which she claimed was given to her by a Nigerian based in Malawi.

The 25-year-old suspect identified as Phanny Zulu, was charged with two counts of trafficking in psychotropic substances, one count of money laundering and another count of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

According to Zambia Reports, a senior investigations officer from the Drug Enforcement Commission in Chipata, Maxwell Nkonde, narrated how he got a tip from his undercover informant and how a DEC team apprehended Zulu who is jointly charged with her grandmother Hellen Chirwa.

“When we interviewed Phanny Zulu, she told us that she was given the cocaine by a Nigerian called Osi who is based in Malawi to sell on his behalf and that she was on commission. All efforts to locate this man proved futile despite getting hold of his phone numbers,” Nkonde said.

Zulu pleaded guilty to count one and two where she is charged of being in possession of 0.8 grammes of cocaine and 0.6 grammes of cocaine but her grandmother pleaded not guilty.

Chipata Principal Resident Magistrate Jennifer Bwalya jailed Zulu seven weeks in each of the two counts.

Magistrate Bwalya said the counts would run concurrently meaning that he would only run seven weeks with effect of the date of arrest which is July this year.

DEC seized several items from Zulu’s bar and house in Chipata’s Hollywood area.

The matter was adjourned to 17 September 2018 (tomorrow) for cross examination by senior Legal Aid counsel John Phiri.