Africa-Press – Uganda. DRUGS |The Police have destroyed an assortment of seized narcotic drugs worth sh4b. The drugs were burnt at Nsambya Police barracks on Tuesday.The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesperson, Charles Mansio Twiine, said they burnt drugs recovered from 24 suspects at Entebbe International Airport in a probe spanning two years — between 2019 and 2020.In total, the Police registered 18 cases and the drugs seized include cocaine, heroin, morphine, methamphetamine and cannabis.CID boss Grace Akullo said there is an urgent need for a narcotics drug valuer and national co-ordination committee for drug control to fight drug cartels.She, however, said the porous borders also remain a challenge in the fight against the traffickers.Last year, the Police destroyed 105.02kg of narcotics valued at$1,5m (about sh5.5b). They included 132.012kg and 100 rolled sticks seized at Entebbe airport.A total of 3,738 suspects were arrested and charged in the courts of law.They included 3,441 male adults, 151 female adults, 136 male juveniles, and 10 female juveniles.The arrests were attributed to the enactment of Anti-narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Act. The Act has stringent punishments, continued sensitisation against trafficking of narcotics, increased operations against narcotic traffickers, and increased destruction of gardens of cannabis sativa.While presenting his handover report this week, former Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Sabiiti Muzeyi said the Police was able to seize and destroy narcotic drugs totaling 370.362kg that is worth sh9.5b and 132 (destroyed 105kg) worth sh5.6b in 2019.Sabiiti said Uganda is the conduit route and destination of narcotic drugs.Drug control strategiesThe strategies used to control trafficking at the airport include random checks on passengers, bags, documents and suspected vehicles picking and dropping passengers.Others are installed X-ray machines used to scan passenger bags, use of canine sniffer dogs to search passenger bags and surveillance on passengers, cargo, especially imports/ exports and car parks.
