A while ago, we read an article telling that the DLEAG operatives at the airport had arrested one Ebrima Makalo with 131 pellets of cocaine.
The suspect is holding a Gambian passport and a Spanish residence permit.
Ebrima Makalo was monitored through the departure procedure which he successfully completed without detection.
He was stopped at the boarding gate, searched, and was discovered with drugs concealed in his boxer. He was traveling on Vueling Airlines to Barcelona.
In a statement, DLEAG added: “The arrest is part of series of interdiction effected by operatives as DLEAG alongside other security apparatus stationed at the airport intensify security measures aimed at ensuring that the airport remains a hostile territory for illicit drug traffickers and their patrons.”
DLEAG means Drug Law Enforcement and this agency is the lead Government security institution responsible for enforcing the Drug Control Act (DCA) 2003 and all other international protocols and Conventions relative to drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related crimes that The Gambia is a signatory to.
Over the years, the Government of The Gambia has had zero tolerance for drug abuse and trafficking while ensuring that it works closely with all stakeholders in drug demand reduction. Criminal networks continue to engage in national and trans-national organized crime, thereby threatening the peace, security and development of countries across the world.
Because of its location, the West Africa region continues to be used by drug traffickers as transit routes for illicit drugs heading to Europe from South America and Asia.
There are so many different kinds of drugs in the world, and it seems as it is a never ending story. As soon as law enforcement has managed to put an end at one source, two others have popped up elsewhere. There is one kind of drug, which is popular in The Gambia, that is locally called Gina Bass after our world famous athlete. The drug is Kush, a drug that makes the drug user high very fast, it is also extremly addictive, making it almost impossible for the drug user to leave.
I feel sorry for Ms Bass that they drag her name down the mud, but unfortunately there is not much anyone can do about that.
Kush is a lethal concoction of cannabis, fentanyl, tramadol, formaldehyde, and ground human bones, Kush has emerged as a potent threat to public health, security, and social stability. Kush, known locally as Gina Bass, has permeated The Gambian society due to porous borders and weak law enforcement, allowing smugglers to import the deadly drug from neighbouring Sierra Leone. The emergence of kush drug has significantly caused a lot of havoc among the youth in The Gambia. This drug is named by the users and dealers after the fastest female sprinter in The Gambia, Gina Bass, because of how it works.
The drug poses two risks: the user runs the risk of self-harm, and the substance is extremely addictive. The need to pay for the next dose, which is frequently accomplished through prostitution or criminal activities, is another issue. The drug’s potency, imcomparable with traditional marijuana and hashish, has led to widespread addiction among the youths, driving them towards criminal activities to sustain their habits.
The composition of Kush has been said to be dangerous for consumption. According to the Anglia Ruskin University, Kush is a blending of cannabis with potent opioids like fentanyl and tramadol. This lethal combination induces a range of effects, from relaxation to altered consciousness to dangerous levels of adrenaline and sleeplessness. The inclusion of formaldehyde and ground human bones adds to its toxicity, which are raising the risks associated with its use.
In my last essay, I spoke about the reasons why our youth use drugs as an escape from the lack of hope for their future.
Some of the youth blame the society where they grow up. According to them, they could not get someone who could motivate them to avoid taking such hard drugs. Some dropped out of school with little or no skills to survive, and the only thing they can do is sell drugs or other things just to get a dose.
There are no job opportunities in this country. The only thing we can do is to be on the street and do things to survive, is what some of the youth say.
It is easy to get hold of the drug Kush, it is in-expensive, and the youth are drawn to it by curiosity. The problem is that once they begin to smoke Kush, they are stuck! Their brains scream for more drugs and the only thing the users are thinking of is how to get more drugs. Kush is rapidly spreading of West Africa and is causing a health crisis with users experiencing severe health consequences, including brain disorders, self-harm, and addiction. The drug’s addictive nature fuels a cycle of dependence, often driving individuals towards prostitution and other criminal activities to finance their addiction.
One part of the drug Kush is human bone, and the reason for that is that human bone contains sulfit and calcium. The ingredients in Kush affect the cells and neutrons of the brain, it can paralyse some parts of the brain and the impact is immediate. The little I have known before, about how drugs are made, is that some of them are made by plants and others by chemicals in laboratories. Never could I imagine that human bones is used to produce a drug. Human bone is nothing we can buy legally, and I think you agree with me that we don’t want to consider how the producers are getting hold of that. Scenes from a nightmare or a scary movie!
Public participation and cooperation is necessary if any nation is to succeed in the crusade against illicit drug abuse. Drugs do not exist in isolation and cannot be curbed by any single entity. Close cooperation and multi – sectoral approach is paramount if we are to succeed.
DLEAGE will continue to engage all stakeholders and work closely with sister security services at the home front and partners at the regional and international level in combating drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related crimes.
I applaud the intentions and the work of DLEAG, but we mustn’t forget that there are reasons why people begin to use drugs. Enforcing the law is necessary, but so is also giving opportunities to the people who feel nothing but hoplessness in life. We must decide in which direction we wish that The Gambia will go. Should we just give up and say that there is no hope, or should we do as Gina Bass and keep on striving for our goals?
