Mozambique: Drugs valued at almost 50 million meticais seized in the first half of 2025

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Mozambique: Drugs valued at almost 50 million meticais seized in the first half of 2025

1:30 CAT | 21 Oct 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: O País]

The Mozambican authorities seized, in the first six months of this year, various types of illicit drugs valued at 49.1 million meticais (760,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate).

According to a report from the Central Office for the Prevention and Control of Drugs (GCPCD), the main drugs that the authorities confiscated are cannabis, heroin and cocaine.

“The authorities seized in total 452.9 kilos of cannabis, valued at 1.35 million meticais; 79.5 kilos of heroin, valued at 47.7 million meticais; and 109.6 grams of cocaine, valued at 87,600 meticais”, reads the report.

According to the document, in the first six months of the year, the authorities also seized “416.8 kilos of methamphetamine, 4.2 kilos of hashish and 11.6 kilos of amphetamine, while no seizures of khat or morphine were recorded.”

According to the report, from January to June, a total of 214 criminal cases related to drug trafficking and consumption were instituted, of which 68 concerned trafficking of small quantities, 49 were for drug consumption, and 47 were for trafficking associated with other illicit activities.

199 defendants were convicted. Of these, 50 came from Maputo city and province, 33 from Tete, and 21 from Gaza. 42 people were acquitted, while a further 39 defendants are awaiting trial.

During the same period, 308 foreign citizens were arrested for involvement in drug crimes, a significant reduction compared to the 941 recorded the previous year.

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The report identifies three main routes used by traffickers: land (via the borders with Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe); sea, particularly through the ports of Beira, Nacala, and Maputo; and air, via Maputo and Nampula International Airports. It highlights that Mozambique continues to be a transit point for drug trafficking destined for South Africa and Europe.

During the period under review, the document says, the authorities incinerated 454.1 kilos of seized substances, including 285 kilos of cannabis; 33.8 kilos of heroin; and 127.6 kilos of methamphetamine.

Compared to the same period in 2024, the report highlights a reduction, which “reflects an intensification of efforts to combat drug trafficking and consumption in the country”, it claims.

Source: AIM