Mozambique blames Volopas vessel owner for crew's precarious situation in Maputo
File photo: Notícias
Drug trafficking and drug use have increased over the past two years in the country, according to a report analysed during the 12th ordinary session of the Council of Ministers held yesterday in the country’s capital.
Cabinet spokesperson and Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ana Comoana, said that justice institutions in Mozambique handled a total of 853 criminal cases related to the production, transportation, marketing and consumption of narcotics in 2017, against 765 registered in the previous year.
At least 570 individuals, both Mozambican nationals and foreigners, were involved in drugs crimes registered by the authorities, and, with around 7.7 tons seized, 73.9 percent in the province of Zambézia, ‘soruma’ [cannabis] is Mozambique’s most-consumed drug.
According to the report to be submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, there are a worrisome number of cases of cocaine trafficking and consumption over the period under review. Maputo International Airport is one of the main points of passage for this drug.
The document assessed yesterday by the government indicates those aged 15 to 30 years as the main users.
At least 10,120 patients with drug-related disorders were admitted to medical and social care units during the past year, 2,429 of which had to be hospitalised because of the severity of the harm caused by the drugs.
In an attempt to reverse the scenario, drug activists and leaders of drug-related medical institutions delivered close to 13,000 lectures to about 2.2 million people, against the 1.2 million covered in 2016.
According to the government spokesperson, the situation requires more attention from the Government, with a strengthened nucleus of anti-drug activists promoting greater awareness among young people in schools and at social gatherings.
Also in the yesterday’s meeting, the cabinet approved the decree amending the Commercial Code and another one regulating programmes and projects inherent to the reduction and emissions by deforestation and forest degradation, conservation and increase of carbon stocks.
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