By Binta Jaiteh
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s annual report has shown six hundred and eighty-six people including Gambians and non-Gambians been arrested with suspected drugs between 2017 and 2018.
Six hundred and ten were Gambians and 86 non-Gambians who included six hundred and seventy-one males and fifteen females.
“On the Nationality of the accused persons, 610 were Gambians representing 89 percent, 47 Senegalese representing 7 percent, 8 British Nationals representing 1.2 percent, 1 Sierra Leonean, 8 Bissau Guinean, 1 Ivorian, 4 Nigerians, 1 Dutch, 1 Italian, 1 Finish National, 1 Lebanese, 2 Guineans (Conakry) and 1 German.
“On the ages bracket/composition of persons arrested in 2018, those between the ages of 19 and 35 represent the highest number of arrests amounting to 311 persons representing 45.3 percent. This is seconded by those from the age of 36 above representing 43 percent involving 295 accused persons and those below the age of 18 years were 80 accused persons representing 11.7 percent.
“On the sex distribution of the seizure statistics, 671 were males representing 97.8 percent and 15 were females representing 2.2 percent,” the report stated.
“On the gender of the accused persons apprehended for the trafficking of controlled and prohibited drugs in 2018, 186 were male clutched for trafficking cannabis sativa, 31 for trafficking hashish, 16 for cocaine and 1 for heroine. 6 females were involved in trafficking cannabis and 1 was involved in the trafficking of hashish,” it added.
“On the geographical distribution of cases regarding the trafficking of drugs, Banjul registered 1 trafficking case involving the seizure of 4 kilograms, 700 grams. The Kanifing Municipality seized 139 kilograms, 930 grams of cannabis involving 15 persons, 633 grams, 631 grams of hashish involving 5 persons and 23 grams, 8 milligrams of involving 5 persons. In total, 25 people were arrested on drug trafficking related offences in the Kanifing Municipality. This excludes those arrested for possession related offences.
“The West Coast Region seized 2 tons, 267 kilograms, 146 grams and 895 milligrams of cannabis sativa involving 130 accused, 123 grams, 207 milligrams of hashish involving 14 accused, 702 grams of cocaine involving accused 5 persons and 4 grams 900 milligrams of heroin involving 1 accused. All the cases mentioned for the West Coast region were drug trafficking related offenses as well,” the report outlined.