DG Gassama was speaking at the commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking held recently at the Youth Monument at Westfield.
In 2022, Mr Gassama recounted, his agency registered 632 cases involving 650 accused persons, saying that 563 of those arrested were Gambians and 87 non-Gambians.
He further explained: “The DLEAG has also seized one ton, 83 kilograms, 408 grams, 960 milligrams of cannabis sativa, 2 kilograms, 200 grams of cannabis plantations, 844 kilograms, 731 grams, 760 milligrams of cocaine, 8 grams, 100 milligrams of heroin, 5 kilograms, 579 grams, 467 milligrams of hashish and 309 grams, 26 milligrams of skunk.”
He said they had also seized a different assortment of controlled drugs including 2400 tablets of clonazepam, 541 tablets of methamphetamine, 105 tablets of ecstasy, and 1130 tablets of tramadol.
Gassama revealed that youths between the ages of 18 and 35 account for the majority of those arrested, adding that a total number of 448 youths representing 68.92 percent were nabbed on drug-related offences for the reporting period.
Those below the age of 18 were 10, he said, representing 1.54 percent while those above 36 years were 192 persons, representing 22.7 percent of the total number of people arrested.
“On the Gender distribution, 734 of the accused persons are male and the remaining 16 are female,” Gassama stated. “In comparison to the total number of 815 cases involving 789 accused persons registered in 2021, the seizure statistics for 2022 indicate a downward trend in the total number of cases and arrest which clearly highlight the giant strides registered by the agency in our quest to bridle drugs and keep our communities healthy, safe and drug-free.”
He further highlighted that in their continuous efforts to discourage drug abuse and strengthen regional and international cooperation in solving the world drug problems, the agency organises weekly radio talk shows, school community outreach programs and capacity-building training programs.
He said they had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with their counterparts in Nigeria, adding that the implementation of the terms of the MoU had started and that some of their officers had undergone training at Nigeria’s Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) training school.
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