By Nelson Manneh
The Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Gambia on Thursday 26th June 2025 commemorated the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, otherwise referred to as the World Drug Day.
The International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.
Mr. Demba Ceesay, Director General of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia said his institution is committed to live up to the expectations of the Gambian people by effectively fighting against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in every corner of the Gambia.
He said the commemoration of this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking comes nearly one year after his appointment as Director General of the Agency. “It also comes at a time when The Gambia and other nations across the globe are working hard to contain the uptick in drug abuse and trafficking.”
“The prevalence of the abuse of common drugs and the advent of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) with their attendance problems continue to increase at an alarming rate. As these drugs become attractive to the youths, the abuse has the potential to become a tremendous social menace,” he said.
Nearly every month, he said there are reports of the entrance of varying types of new drugs entering the local illicit drug market as a result of the proliferation of such substances.
“Prohibited drugs in the form of synthetic cannabis, crack cocaine, molly, hashish and Kush among others as well as controlled drugs like ecstasy, tramadol, clonazepam and a host of other prescription drugs are being abused and illegally trafficked across our streets and borders. Added to this is the surge in cocaine trafficking in the sub region including The Gambia as the country lies in the transatlantic cocaine route to Europe,” he said.
Taking into consideration the complex nature of the dealing, DG Ceesay said abuse and trafficking in drugs coupled with the urgent need for a robust strategy to address the drug situation.
From the 1st January to 31st December 2024, Ceesay said his Agency’s supply suppression related activities resulted in the apprehension of 1219 persons involved in 1208 drug related cases. 1014 of the arrestees were Gambians and the remaining 205 were foreign nationals.
“The foreign nationals arrested comprise Senegalese, Sierra Leoneans, Nigerians, Bissau Guineans, Conakry Guineans, Malians, a Zimbabwean, a Ghanaian, a Moroccan, an Ivorian, an Egyptian, a Pakistani, British Nationals, Americans and Portuguese Nationals,” he said.
Out of the 1208 cases registered in 2024, he said 503 cases were registered between January and June while 705 cases were registered between July and December, representing a 42% increase in interdiction in the second half of 2024. The quantity of drugs seized for the reporting period equates to the following breakdown.
Ceesay said the seizure statistics on the quantity and types of drugs seized indicate that cannabis is the most prevalent drug as it accounts for the bulk of the seizure statistics with 54.7% representation of all the cases. Although cannabis is dominant, drugs like kush, Methamphetamine, and hashish still account for a significant number of cases (14.3%, 9%, and 9.5%, respectively).
