According to a press release from the SIC, the drugs to be incinerated include crack, skunk, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy and cannabis sativa, seized following several operations carried out in Luanda.
In statements to the press, the SIC spokesperson, Manuel Halaiwa, said that, in total, 428 kilos of various types of drugs were incinerated, “with emphasis on cocaine, which is the most important and the most desirable, especially in international traffic”.
Manuel Halaiwa stressed that the province of Luanda has been used as a hub for the entry of hard drugs, entering the international circuit via neighboring countries, namely Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and also to Europe.
From January to May of this year, the SIC spokesperson highlighted that 508 crimes of trafficking and consumption of narcotics and other psychotropic substances have already been registered, which culminated in the arrest of 578 citizens, of which more than 20 were foreigners, namely Brazilians, South Africans, Nigerians, Chinese and Vietnamese, involved in this type of crime, which resulted in the opening of 136 criminal proceedings.
Chinese and Vietnamese citizens stand out in the trafficking of drugs such as amphetamine, ketamine, methamphetamine and ecstasy, he said.
“These drugs entered the country in a disguised manner in suitcases, ingested in capsules, in fabrics, cloths (…) several mules were detained”, he said, adding that the authorities’ action has been quite fruitful, allowing the entry of these drugs to be stopped.
The officer also noted that most of the seized drugs came from Brazil, from the city of Guarulhos, São Paulo, mostly via the airport and some by sea, hidden in boxes of chicken legs and fans in refrigerated containers.
The incineration process was carried out by the industrial waste treatment company, located in the municipality of Mulenvos, as part of World Anti-Drug Day, which was celebrated this Thursday, this year with the motto “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention. Break the Cycle. End Organized Crime”.
The deputy director of the National Institute for the Fight against Drugs (Inalud), Sucami André, in an interview with the Angop news agency, said that 8,715 cases of addiction have been registered and are being monitored throughout the country from January to June of this year, with the most commonly consumed drugs being alcohol, cannabis, crack and cocaine.
