The worth of the drugs, destroyed on Saturday, is seventeen million five hundred and sixty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dalasis fifty-one bututs (017, 563, 999.51).
The drugs included 2 tons, 105kg, 625g of cannabis, 107g 341mg of cannabis resin (hashish), 169g, 42mg of heroin and 549g, 259mg of cocaine.
The drug destruction is an exercise aimed at demonstrating public accountability and transparency in the handling of drugs exhibited in courts.
In his statement, Alhagie Bakary Gassama, director general of DLEAG, commended board members of DLEAG for approving the destruction of the drugs.
“I cannot conclude without extending our profound thanks and appreciation to the Board for the leadership and for approving this destruction exercise,” he said.
DLEAG is highly committed and determined to contribute to international efforts in addressing the world drug problem, he added, saying: “We will remain highly alert and vigilant on drug-related criminal activities.”
Highlighting the constraints the agency faced, he said: “Social media has now become a medium with growing vulnerability. While it remains a vital opportunity for the dissemination of news, it is often abused by disinformation campaigners.
“These ill-fated individuals try to create a knowledge infrastructure around falsehood exposing vulnerable followers to believing in the many untrue information being spread. Such an act can be qualified as an act of conspiracy against citizens aimed at undermining facts and promoting public judgment influenced by false narratives.”
He further said that over the past years DLEAG had observed persistent efforts to discredit the institution and its officials. He was quick to add that his office is neither surprised nor disappointed with the act, justifying that financial independent drug cartels are using every means to distract the agency.
“The main objective is to erode public confidence in law enforcement so that the public will not cooperate in providing information on their activities,” he charged.
Meanwhile, Director Gassama called on the public to be committed to the fight against drugs by providing information to law enforcement institutions on the movements of criminals.
Reading the statement of the board chair of DLEAG, Abdoulie Gomez, who represented the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said: “The Board is committed to taking the lead in providing the resources for the operations of the Agency by working closely with management in creating the necessary policy environment geared towards the achievement of a more effective and efficient drug responses mechanism in The Gambia.”
Representing the minister of Interior, Assan Tangara, permanent secretary at the Interior Ministry, said: “The Government of the Gambia is doing everything possible to make The Gambia the safest place to live in the world.”
He said that through the Interior Ministry, the government had created the enabling environment to empower law enforcement institutions in response to crime.
“Since I took over office as Minister of Interior, it has been my vision to establish a law enforcement regime that will be accountable and responsive to the citizens. The right of individuals must be respected at all times while executing our duties,” he stated, adding: “However, the duty for law enforcement officers to observe human rights does not offer an incentive to anyone to harass law enforcement officers in the due execution of their duties.”
