Kampala, (UG): Police in Kampala have destroyed over 56 kilograms of narcotic drugs worth Shs3 billion confiscated from travellers at Entebbe International Airport between 2020 and 2023.
The leading suspects intercepted with drugs at the Airport include Ugandans, followed by Nigerians, Indians, Cameroonians, Senegalese, Tanzanians and others, most of whom were convicted and sentenced to fines and other custodial penalties by the courts of law.
According to a police statement released via the force’s official X account, the destruction of the drugs was conducted at Nsambya Police Clinic on Friday with the destroyed illicit substances containing 42 kilograms (Kgs), 6Kgs of Cocaine and 7 Kgs of methamphetamine.
“These illicit substances comprised 42 kilograms of heroin, 6 kilograms of cocaine, and 7 kilograms of methamphetamine. They were confiscated at Entebbe International Airport between 2020 and 2023, and thorough investigations led to the conviction of the involved suspects,” reads in part a police statement on Friday evening.
The disposal process was conducted in the presence of Chief Magistrate Stella Maris of Entebbe Grade One Court, along with senior officers from CID, canine, and aviation police, among others.
Speaking during the incineration of the drugs, Ms Juliet Baguma, the director of investigations at Civil Aviation Police (CAP) revealed that the illicit drugs intoxicate the mind of the consumers leading to committing of offenses like rape, murder, robberies and terrorism, among others.
While overseeing the formal destruction of the narcotics, the Entebbe Chief Magistrate, Ms Stella Maris Amabilisi urged the government to consider amendments in the available anti-drug trafficking laws to ensure that convicts are subjected to stronger punishments with the aim of controlling the issue of drug trafficking.
“The available law says that convicts either pay one million or be jailed for five years. Something needs to be done to amend it because many of these (suspects) are always in and out,” she said.
Ms Amabilisi was flanked by senior officers from the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), canine, and aviation police, among others.
A 2022 police annual crime report indicates that cases of narcotics and drugs doubled to 2, 797 cases compared to 1, 668 cases that were reported in 2021.
The same report shows that a total of 4, 818 suspects were arrested and charged in court, including 137 juveniles.
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