By Nelson Manneh
The Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG) through their Public Relations Officer explained that over the weekend, the Anti-Narcotic Agency arrested suspects and seized bundles of kush and other illegal drugs across the country.
It includes 2 bundles, 14 medical plastics bags, 385 wraps, and large quantities of Kush within eight days.
According to PRO Ousman Saidyba, DLEAG operatives stationed across the country have registered significant progress in operational activities aimed at disrupting the illicit flow, trafficking, dealing and abuse of both prohibited and controlled drugs.
“The Agency from the 28th to 6th March, 2024 registered thirty-four cases involving forty-one suspects. Forty of the suspects are males including an Alleged Child Offender (ACO) and one is a female. In the same vein, twenty-seven of them are Gambians, eleven Sierra Leoneans, one Conakry Guinean, one Bissau Guinean and one Nigerian,” he disclosed.
He said the seizure statistics for this week show a significant increase in the number of cases and arrests. The number of cases increased from eleven to thirty-four cases while arrest increased from fourteen to forty- one suspects.
However, he said Gambians and Sierra Leoneans account for the majority of cases and arrest for both periods. The total number of Gambian arrestees increased from eleven to twenty-four suspects while Sierra Leoneans increased from three to eleven suspects.
“The number of female suspects remains the same for both periods (that is one suspect for each period). However, the seizure statistics for this week includes a 17-year-old Alleged Child Offender (ACO) who was arrested with eight tablets of ecstasy and some quantities of skunk around a nightclub at Senegambia. He is said to be a student. The female suspect on the other hand was arrested with forty-six wraps at a Bar in Brikama Suva-Ward,” he said.
PRO Saidyba further informed reporters that their agency also arrested and seized 4 bundles, 40 parcels, 253 wraps, and some quantities of cannabis sativa, 100 pieces of Cannabis Resin (Hashish), 1010 tablets of Tramadol, 31 tablets of Ecstasy and some quantities of skunk.
He said for the past eight days DLEAG’s Banjul Division registered three cases involving three suspects, West Coast Regional Command registered 14 cases involving 19 suspects, Kanifing Municipal Command registered 11 cases involving 13 suspects, Upper River Regional Command registered 1 case involving 1 suspect.
He said DLEAG’s Sensitive Investigations Unit (SIU) also registered 5 cases involving 5 suspects.
