By: Nicholas Bass
Demba Ceesay, Director General Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG), have vowed to fight illegal flow, trafficking, and dealing of prohibited drugs throughout the country.
He made this disclosure on Thursday during a public illicit drug destruction exercise at the old Cape Road along Bakau Cape Point, saying the national narcotic agency aimed to disrupt the illegal flow, trafficking, and dealing of prohibited drugs.
He said the agency has intercepting significant quantities of varying types of prohibited drugs and has succeeded in disrupting the illicit flow.
According to him, this year’s exercise was aimed at demonstrating public accountability and transparency in the handling of drugs from the point of arrest to destruction, stating that the management has always ensured that the security and integrity of exhibits are maintained.
DG Ceesay, pointed out that fighting drugs is a difficult challenge and a persisting phenomenon that no nation can easily boast of having eradicated, calling that on the support and active participation of everyone.
“We can make giant strides in the crusade on drugs and make The Gambia very unattractive for those bent on flooding our streets with illicit drugs, robbing our youths’ future,” he noted.
DG Ceesay stated that the agency’s strategic response aimed at countering drug problems in the country has over the years paid dividends and yielded positive results.
“We have succeeded in disrupting the illicit flow, trafficking, and dealing of prohibited drugs by intercepting significant quantities of varying types of illicit drugs meant for the local illicit drug market or in transit to other destinations. Equally, we have succeeded in dismantling several drug syndicates who were hellbent on polluting our environments with their reprehensible illicit products”, Ceesay said.
He disclosed, 18kg,60mg of cannabis sativa, 42kg,974g, 785mg of cannabis resin or hashish,400g of kush, 104 blocksof cocaine, and 3505 ecstasy quantities of drugs cases were successfully dealt with at the courts.
Samba Faal, chairperson DLEAG board of governors, said that over the past years, the agency developed and implemented strategic initiatives that have contributed immensely to boosting the administrative, operational, and technical capabilities of DLEAG.
Faal said that initiatives that were formulated by the agency were the fulfilment of its mandate and efficient attainment of the agency’s organizational goals, adding that DLEAG can proudly boast of having highly qualified staff, including graduates and specialists who were fully funded by the Agency to undertake various degrees.
