Govt to introduce drones for border patrols

Source: Govt to introduce drones for border patrols – DailyNews Live

Blessings Mashaya      13 February 2017

HARARE – In an effort to deal with increasing smuggling and drug
trafficking, government is planning to introduce drones to patrol the
country’s porous borders, deputy minister of Home Affairs Obedingwa Mguni
revealed to Senate last week.

Speaking during last week’s question and answer session, Mguni said they
were targeting to improve the country’s weak borders through deployment of
drones.

“We have implemented new technology. We are bringing in the drones that
are able to fly, patrolling along the border post. We have an
inter-ministerial committee which involves the ministry of Finance and
other ministries like ministry of Mines. We are buying those machines so
that they can fly there and we can see who is crossing so that we can
search those people. Most of the drug carriers are using such areas.

“However, the fight against drugs is not only with the police, it is also
with the public,” said Mguni.

Mguni added that the country is being flooded with harmful drugs because
of the weak border posts security.

“The police – their objective is to prevent, detect and stop any criminal
activities within the country and even abroad, through Interpol. The drug
issue is a world syndrome that is challenging all under-developed
countries.

“However, when you look at where the drugs are manufactured it is counties
like Columbia, Brazil, even Mozambique where there are plants. They are
flooding into the country like Zimbabwe through the border or boundaries
where we have very weak boundaries without security barriers.

“By security barriers I mean that in some parts…we have got rivers like
Limpopo, Zambezi where people cannot just cross but if you go to the
eastern side you can drive your cattle and walk across. A lot of people
think they will come through the official border post.  No, they are areas
where there just cross into a country without being detected.”

Mguni added that the government must open rehabilitation centres to
educate youths on drugs.