The
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) on Thursday destroyed 1tonne, 940kg, 500g
of drugs at its destruction site in Old Cape Town Road.
Abdoulie
Gassama, director general of DLEAG, said the drug destruction is a key calendar
event of the DLEAG and it is meant to publicly destroy seized drugs following
successful prosecution in the narcotic courts.
He
affirmed that drug seized are not recycled in the market but destroyed.
The
DLEAG is the youngest law enforcement agency in The Gambia, established in 2003
by an Act of the National Assembly and charged with the responsibility of
enforcing all drug laws and regulations.
The
institution also collaborates with partners locally and internationally in the
spirit of fighting illicit drug trafficking and abuse, money laundry, terrorism
and other forms of organised crimes.
“TheDLEAG
will strengthen actions and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international
society free of drug trafficking and abuse,” Mr Gassama said. “Fighting drugs are complex challenges and it
shall remain a war worth fighting.”
In
the first half of 2017, the agency registered a record seizure of large amount
of various types of drugs, 503g 266g 385mg of cannabis, 495g 161mg of Hashish,
50g 909mg of cocaine, 24tablets ofdiazepam, 57 tablets of bromazepam and 10
tablets of lormetazepam.
The
DLEAG director general said the world drug problem continues to constitute a
serious threat to public health, the safety and wellbeing of humanity, and
underminessocio-economic and political stability and sustainable development.
“For
The Gambia to be safe from drug,there should be combined efforts of all law
enforcement agencies, government, institutions, civil society, media, and the
general public to report drug dealers,as harmful use of illicit drugs exposes non-users
to injury and death.”
Mai
Fatty, minister of the interior,said the number of youth indulging in drug
abuse is on the increase and as a result, the youth are increasing becoming
vulnerable to health problem, crime and other forms of violentbehaviours.
He
said it is evident that drugs have negative impacts on the lives of youth, so
it is important that civil society organisationsembark on mass sensitisation
activities to challenge youth to take them out of drugs.
“It
is time for us to say ‘NO’to illicit drugs, it is time for us to work on the
future and face the challenges with all ability and strength to prove to the
world that we can win the war on drugs,” he said.
One
Ousman Saidy Bah said drugs would continue to cause serious destructionif the general
public, stakeholders, the private sector and other relevant bodiesdo not come
together to join the fight against the abuse of drugs.
“Today,
the large number of cases faced by Tankatanka is due to the use of drugs and
many youth are affected owing todropping out of school and other relatedvices,”
he said.
