Pubdate: Wed, 10 May 2006
Source: New Vision (Uganda)
Copyright: 2006 New Vision
Contact:  http://www.newvision.co.ug/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/522
Author: Abubaker Mukose

EAST AFRICA MAJOR DRUG CONDUIT, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

Kampala

EAST Africa is Africa's major transit point for drug trafficking, a 
UN regional representative on drugs and crime has said.

Carsten Hyttel said drug traffickers had flourished on East Africa's 
weak socio-economic and political policies, on top of weak laws, to 
transform the region into a major haul mainly for heroin from Asia 
and cocaine from South America.

"Drug tracking is like flowing water. Should you block one end, it 
changes course to another channel. Since Europe and America have put 
stringent measures on them, they have found East Africa a suitable 
alternative for the illicit trade due to the ill-equipped capacity to 
detect it and track the dealers," Carsten said.

He was addressing journalists on the vulnerability of East Africa on 
the phenomenon at Sunset Hotel in Jinja on Monday.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman