The Gambia Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) has stepped up its efforts in recent days with a series of operations aimed at disrupting drug trafficking in the country.
In the space of a week, DLEAG agents have made significant seizures of illicit substances.
The catch include 894 sachets of cannabis wrapped in chewing gum, 823 ecstasy pills and 630 vapes, demonstrating the scale of the trafficking that the agency is actively combating.
Recent operations have highlighted the transnational dimension of drug trafficking. Among the 29 people arrested were nationals of Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Egypt. Notable arrests include: a Bissau-guinean soldier intercepted at the border with a firearm; an Egyptian national arrested in Banjul in possession of two sachets of cocaine; and a Senegalese man apprehended at the international airport with 212 cartons of cigarettes.
Among the arrested were two 17-year-olds: one with 39 packets of cannabis and the other with 15 packets of skunk. These arrests underline a worrying trend in the involvement of minors in drug trafficking.
On the judicial side, DLEAG filed 10 new cases, including 2 for trafficking and 8 for possession. Three convictions have already been obtained. In parallel with the crackdown, the agency is conducting awareness-raising programs through radio broadcasts and campaigns in Banjul’s neighbourhoods. These initiatives are particularly aimed at informing young people about the dangers of drug use.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA