Security forces foil drug smuggling attempt

CAIRO – 11 June 2017: Security forces foiled a smuggling attempt of 120 boxes of drugs through Port-Said city in collaboration with the Customs Authority in Port Said on Saturday. The ship carrying the cargo was transiting in the Western maritime port of Port Said on its way to Libya.

The ship ‘oocl Egypt’ numbered Tclu 9436816 was coming from India. Smugglers would loot the cargo to Egypt from Libya in stages by four-wheel-drive through borders, and by small boats through Egyptian coasts.

The cargo consists of 42 boxes containing 50,000 Tamol drug tablets, and 78 boxes containing 80,000 Tramadol tablets.

There has been an increase in medical drugs consumption for non-medical reasons in order to evade legal penalties in Egypt, which has resulted in looting attempts of large drug shipments that surpass the medical need in the country.

According to a 2014 study by CAPMAS, 10 percent of the population uses drugs, which is double the global rate, but only 2.5 percent are drug addicts, which is on par with the global rate. About 27 percent of drug users and addicts are women.