Somalia police thwart major drug smuggling attempts at Mogadishu port, airport
The Somali Federal Government has in recent years intensified its campaign against narcotics trafficking, warning that the spread of illegal drugs is destroying the country's youth and fueling social instability.
Somali authorities have seized large consignments of narcotics in back-to-back operations at the Port of Mogadishu and Aden Adde International Airport, thwarting attempts to smuggle drugs into the country.
In the first operation at the Port of Mogadishu on Sunday, Somali police seized two large containers carrying narcotics, including several cartons of tramadol and codeine.
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"The narcotics we seized contained 17 cartons, 112 cartons of Tramadol, and 120 cartons of codeine syrup — all of which pose a serious health risk to Somali youth," Somali spokesperson Abditafah Adan Hassan said.
According to Abditafah, who warned that anyone caught trafficking the drugs would face tough penalties, no arrests were made during the operation, but investigations are ongoing to identify the persons behind the shipment.
"The police and security agencies are conducting a wide-ranging operation against the networks that traffic and use narcotics. Anyone found trafficking or using these substances will be brought before the law," he said.
The raid was preceded by a similar operation on Saturday at the Aden Adde International Airport in which police seized 48 sacks of narcotics at the airstrip. The sacks, reports indicate, contained 2,946 boxes of narcotics alongside a dozen cartons of rolling papers.
"These drugs, which pose a grave threat to public safety, were intercepted inside the airport before they could be distributed," Attorney General Sulayman Mohammed Mohamud said in a statement.
"We are conducting official investigations to identify the networks involved in this importation to apprehend them and bring them to justice."
The Somali Federal Government has in recent years intensified its campaign against narcotics trafficking, warning that the spread of illegal drugs is destroying the country's youth and fueling social instability.
Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Somalia are severe, with convicted offenders often handed lengthy jail sentences and heavy fines.
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