Police in Mozambique (PRM) have confirmed the arrest of an 86-year United States national in possession of 5 kilogrames of the illegal drugs at Maputo International Airport pror to board a Dubai-bound flight.
PRM spokesperson at the Maputo city level, Leonel Muchina is quoted by state radio on Sunday as the drugs were discovered at a security checkpoint as the suspected hedaed to the departure lounge. .
“In fact, we finalising the process of boarding international flights, bound for South Africa, the final destination being France from Dubai, when we arrested American national aged 86 years old, who had packed in the false bottom of his suitcase, five kilos of cocaine and two kilos of heroin “Muchina told the Maputo-broadcaster on Sunday.
According to Muchina, this is the second case of drugs seized at Maputo International Airport this year and authorities have been steadily strengthening borders in order to try to stem this practice.
To that end, the Muchina says that “the Police of the Republic of Mozambique has privileged the reinforcement of surveillance. So much so that here at the airport we have allocated several forces from the PRM, we refer to the police of protection, we also have National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and we have a whole security system to repress these practices in the sense of to retrain these practices or entry or exit of narcotics from Mozambican borders.
According to a new report by a Londo-based resesach firm, Mozambique has emerged as one of the world’s key heroin trading hubs, with the drug now the country’s second largest export as it is smuggled from Afghanistan to Europe and America.
CM/as/APA