Drug Traffickers Becoming More Aggressive in Africa

Drug trafficking in Africa is becoming increasingly difficult to check and control because drug traffickers have resorted to a more unconventional means of bypassing border controls.

Oyebola Adetula, a consultant on drug control and crime prevention with the African Union (AU) told reporters in Kampala on Friday that sea ports and conflict areas are also regularly being targeted as means of transferring drugs since they are less regulated than established custom points.

Adetula, who established the Drug control and crime prevention desk at the AU, says apart from being well facilitated with drug surveillance and detection facilities, drug control bosses need to be regularly in touch with each other.

West Africa and particularly Nigeria has been branded as one of the biggest transit points in Africa for drug traffickers.

Statistics from the National drug law enforcement agency of Nigeria show that in 2000 alone, 270,000 kilos of cannabis ready for transit were seized.

Adetula, who is herself Nigerian, however said that most of those arrested for trafficking drugs in other countries claim to be Nigerians because the Nigerian passport is easy to forge.

The introduction of the E-Passport in Nigeria will help cut down the prevalence of the problem, she said.

Source African Press Agency

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