Wau town, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, witnessed the arrest of four individuals on Tuesday over allegations of engaging in the sale of cannabis, locally known as “bhang.”
Law enforcement authorities took the suspects into custody, including two females, who were found in possession of over eighty bundles of marijuana and tramadol tablets. It is worth noting that tramadol is classified as an opioid drug, and an overdose can prove fatal.
Acting Police Commissioner, Maj. Gen. James Simon Yasi, confirmed the arrests, emphasizing that the individuals would face court proceedings for their involvement in the illegal sale and consumption of narcotics, specifically marijuana, within the state.
“Following security intelligence available to us, I issued an order to trace and apprehend all drug dealers in the state. As a result, we have successfully arrested four individuals, two females and two males, who were discovered with eighty bundles of cannabis and one and a half packets of tramadol. These illicit substances were being sold in various parts of Wau town,” stated the Acting Police Commissioner.
He further elaborated, “The arrestees have been taken into custody, and a case has been opened at Wau North police station. They will be presented before the court either today or tomorrow.”
Additionally, Yasi revealed that the females were caught red-handed with 77 bundles of opium, which they were selling within residential areas of Wau town. Court proceedings have commenced against them at Wau North police station, where a judge will decide their fate.
Nevertheless, Yasi clarified that the prevalence of opium trading in the town is not as widespread as rumoured, but security forces remain vigilant based on ongoing security information.
“While the sale of Bongo is not prevalent in the town, we receive weekly security information about minor crimes and instances of insecurity. Acting on the information provided by our security personnel, we take appropriate action,” explained Yasi.
Yasi also highlighted that the abuse of drugs, including tramadol, primarily involves youth in residential areas and on the streets. He emphasized the dangerous nature of tramadol and stressed that its sale should be restricted to individuals holding a valid prescription from a medical doctor. Unfortunately, certain pharmacies in the area have been illegally selling the drug without proper authorization.
“I hereby issue a directive, specifically for Wau town, prohibiting the sale of tramadol tablets to individuals without a prescription receipt from a medical doctor,” declared Yasi.
The Acting Police Commissioner warned that any pharmacist found in violation of this order would be subject to arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), leading to swift legal action against them.