Ethiopia Detains 80 Individuals on Drug Trafficking

Addis Ababa ENA August 30/2019 Counter Narcotics Operation of the Federal Police Commission has apprehended 80 individuals from 17 countries involved in drug trafficking in the past Ethiopian fiscal year.

Deputy Director of the Operation, Commander Mengisteab Beyene told ENA that police seized more than 186 kilogram cocaine, 9 kilogram heroine and 1104 kilogram cannabis mostly trafficked through Bole International airport in Addis Ababa.

The drug was being transported by Nigerians, Brazilians, Venezuelans and South Africans traffickers, who were detained at the airport, the commander said.  

Among the detained individuals 57 are men while the rest 23 are women, the Commander said and adding that information sharing among the different security organs at airports makes it easier to monitor travel, particularly on flagged routes.

“Cocaine is the most dangerous drug we frequently intercepted during transit with its origin mainly from Latin America...this is because our airlines accessibility as it has flight destination in Brazil and the country's topography. Then Cannabis grows in parts of Ethiopia and was being distributed but we disposed most of it from its plot of land,” Com. Mengisteab explained.

Postal and DHL services are also manipulated for transporting drugs on the top of air transport, but he said recently such moves declining due to strict monitoring and controlling works.

In addition, more than seven hectares of cannabis farms have also disposed in the cities of Shashemene and Addis Ababa, the Commander noted.

"In 2018/19, we apprehended 80 drug traffickers from 17 Nationalities besides Ethiopians. More than 186kilograms cocaine, 1104 kilograms cannabis, and 9 kilograms of heroine were intercepted. Moreover, seven hectares and one thousand meter square of cannabis farms were also disposed in Shashemenie and Addis Ababa, respectively.

Ethiopia’s geographical location and proximity to source and destination countries, increasing connections in airlines, postal, and DHL services has contributed to a growing gap for narcotic drug traffickers to use it as a drug transit hub.

Despite the fact that police have flawless skill and coordination to sniff out drugs as traffickers find their way into Ethiopia, the commander insisted.