ANOTHER MAJOR COCAINE BUST IN GAMBIA

Gambians, Nigerians, And Spanish Nationals Arrested

LANDLORDS IN POLICE NETS!!I

Staff Reporter  Bakary Gibba & Pa Nderry M’Bai

( Freedom Newspaper News Hour Program Audio Version Script)

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel# 919-749-6319 

As The Gambia is steadily becoming a drug hub, the National Drug Enforcement Agency, (NDEA) Tuesday arrested about 13 suspects linked to cocaine trafficking, the Freedom Newspaper can reveal.  Among the arrestees include: Gambians, Nigerians, and Spanish Nationals, Chief Inspector Abdoulie Ceesay said.  The five arrested accused persons were five Gambians, four Spanish, and four Nigerians, he explained. The men were rounded up in different localities within the Greater Banjul Area.

The major cocaine bust, followed a tipoff police received, which led to the arrest of the detainees, who were caught with cocaine, Heroine, and cannabis sativa.  The men are awaiting to stand trial for drug trafficking, possession, and other related charges, police said.

According to the NDEA spokesman Abdoulie Ceesay, who appeared on the state controlled media GRTS evening news,  three of the men were nabbed in Tallinding, following a tipoff they received from an confidential informant. Mr. Ceesay said the head of the Nigerian drug ring one Mr. Alex is helping them with their investigations.   

The drug raid was extended to Sanchaba Sulay Jobe, where one Nigerian National claiming to be a Pastor was arrested. Police said Pastor dug a hole at his rented apartment, where he concealed the heroine. All the accused persons admitted owning the drugs upon interviewed by the anti narcotic officers, police said.

In Kanifing Municipality, police arrested three Gambians who were caught with drugs. Lamin Cham (not the former Observer Editor) and one lady Mabintou were arrested when the raid was conducted by the NDEA officers with the backing of the Police Intervention Unit—known as the (PIU).

The NDEA raiding team experienced stiff resistance in Sukuta, where a resident linked to cannabis trafficking refused arrest. The suspect managed to set ablaze the cannabis he stored at his dwelling house before the officers could arrest him. The suspect refused to submit to arrest when police knocked at his door. The suspect became belligerent, and physically confronted the arresting team.  Police later forced their way into the suspect’s house, where they apprehended him, but the suspect had already destroyed the cannabis through burning, the police spokesman said.  However, some drugs were recovered from the premises following a thorough search, police said

  Spanish Nationals Busted With Drugs

Anti narcotic officers extended their raid to Sanyang village, in the Kombo South District, Western Region, where they arrested four Spanish Nationals with cannabis. The Spanish, according to the police spokesman admitted to drug possession. He said the men were processed accordingly and are awaiting to stand trial.

The Gambia has been infiltrated by Columbian drug cartels, who used the impoverished West African nation as a transit point in their bid to traffic cocaine to Western countries.  Already, over one billion dollar worth of cocaine has been impounded by the Government. Some foreign nationals had been charged for the drug bust.  Police say there are influential business tycoons, and Government officials associated with the narcotic trade. Some of the implicated officials are being investigated. So far no charges have been proffered against the home based suspected drug dealers.

Due to institutionalized corruption in Jammeh’s Government, unformed serving police and army officers actively participate in the drug trade—by acting in concert with the drug dealers. Drug lords have infiltrated law enforcement agencies in The Gambia. They bribed influential officials in the position of authority in order to traffic drug into the country.

There is no evidence that some of implicated security chiefs are on the payroll of the drug cartels, but what is evident though some of wealth amassed by the these officers is questionable. They owned fleets of cars, estates, and healthy bank accounts.

In the meantime, spokesman Abdoulie Ceesay is appealing to Gambians and non Gambians associated with drug trafficking to desist saying that there are strict laws put in place to tackle offenders. Mr. Ceesay said any landlord who harbors drug dealers would risk having property forfeited to the state.

In another development, this paper was reliably informed that some landlords were arrested alongside with the suspected drug dealers. Sources said the landlords were accused of renting out their homes to drug dealers. Up to the time of going to press the men were still detained.

                       International News

The European Union (EU) says it had decided not to renew its mission to support the Guinea Bissau security reform. The first part of the mandate will end on September the 30^th, says the EU. This decision resulted from "the violation of the constitutional order, the detention of civilians and military persons in the West African country. The impunity enjoyed by the doers, since the mutiny, on last April, which led to the ouster of Chief of Staff, General Jose Zamora Induta, and his replacement by his deputy, General Antonio Indjai, the statement said.

The European Union says "The conditions for deploying a new mission do not exist, and the political instability and lack of rule of law make it impossible for the E.U to initiate a monitoring mission, as was originally planned, without violating its own principles."

Both the European Union and the United States had announced, in June of this year, their intentions to withdraw their support programs of reforming the security services in Guinea Bissau, accusing the dignitaries of the army and the government of being involved in drug traffic and illicit trade.

 Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck has unveiled an electricity project for Nigeria in the tune of 3.5 billion dollars. The proposed project is aimed at finding a lasting solution to Nigeria’s electricity problems.  President Goodluck said the project for Nigeria’s super power grid would be completed in a span of four years.

Like other African countries, Nigeria is also face by frequent power cuts and blackouts.  The new Nigerian President said the problem of electricity cuts would soon be a thing of the past once the multimillion dollar project is actualized.

 In Liberia, women groups converged  on Saturday to review the progress recorded by the Government of  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The conference was organized by the President’s office. It was held at Paynesville, where President Sireleaf called on Liberian women to assume leadership roles  at all levels in the nation’s democratization  process.  

In a news release, the Liberian President said she would support the principle of women competing with men and taking up elected positions at various levels, including leadership roles in political parties in the country.

 “We want to see women in politics at all levels. It is not just for President. We are talking about going down there, taking county leadership, political party leadership at the county level, at the district level, community levels and standing out in your communities,” said the Liberian head of state. Hundred of women from various walks of life showed up to grace the conference.

In Sierra Leone,  meanwhile,  supermodel Naomi Campbell,  who earlier appeared before the International Criminal Court in the Hague to testify in war crimes charges against former Liberian President Charles Taylor, Tuesday issued a terse statement saying that she has nothing to gain after receiving alleged blood diamond stone from the former dictator. She said suggestions that she did not care about suffering in Africa were hurtful.  Campbell described herself as a "a black woman who has and will always support good causes, especially relating to Africa."