Commissioner Mbankwene Simon Zimbi, Regional Delegate of National Security for the West Region, talks on the war against hard drugs.
What are some of the measures and strategies you have put in place to fight the cultivation and smuggling of Indian hemp in the region?
You must first of all note that the cultivation, sale and consumption of this drug are highly prohibited in Cameroon. So, for the police to succeed in the fight, firstly we must search for those who consume the drug, then those who sell and finally their suppliers.
Here in the West Region, police elements get into drinking parlours, motor parks and other spots where games are played, for information. But our success has come as the result of controls on the highways which have been intensified recently. Field work must not be neglected, because elements of the police are regularly in suspected zones to tap information on cultivation and sale. Here, we seek the collaboration of administrative authorities and village heads.
What are some of the difficulties encountered on the field during investigations?
Operators know that their activities are illegal. To have information, we use a lot of tact. Policemen often disguise to tap real information from reliable sources. Some village heads have good knowledge of where these drugs are cultivated but hide it from the police.
Another difficulty is that most of these Indian hemp farms are far into the suburbs, where accessibility is quite impossible for vehicles. The last but not the least difficulty is the high prices paid for the product. These high prices push the producers of Indian hemp to cultivate, even when they sense danger.
What are the sanctions that await drug smugglers and cultivators?
Law No. 97/19/17 August 1977 prohibits the production, consumption, sale and importation of Indian hemp throughout the national territory. Thus, the traffic or importation of Indian hemps is considered punishable under the Cameroon Penal Code.
Anyone caught in the sale or consumption of this drug has to be punished with imprisonment of or from 10 days to 10 years, depending on the gravity. On the administrative side, all drugs caught or plantations uncovered are instantly destroyed and perpetrators charged in court.
