Drug Enforcement Agency has seized over 250 kilograms of drugs in three months (January to March) across the country.

Speaking during the Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) event in Francistown on Tuesday, Motshereganyi Sefanyetso from the Drug Enforcement Agency said commonly abused drugs in Botswana are dagga, meth-cathinone and crack cocaine.

Sefanyetso noted that although Botswana is not a drug producing country, it is a consumer country and it is often used as a transit route to traffic drugs across the region. “So far, the dagga that we have seized from people weighs 250.819kg and most of it comes from eswatini and three people were arrested with 6 grams of cocaine, which came from South Africa.

“45 people were nabbed with Meth-cathinone [CAT) weighing 969.5g, which they also got from South Africa,” said Sefanyetso, adding that both gazetted and ungazetted points of entry are used to smuggle illicit drugs.

According to Sefanyetso, haulage trucks, private and rental cars are used to transport drugs into the country hidden in car parts (door panels, spare wheels) and between goods, food or in person.

The drug director, Sefanyetso continued to say that Batswana are the main perpetrators in drug trafficking and that law enforcement is fighting tooth and nail to prevent drugs from getting into the country.

They have so far introduced public education, enforcement, ports of entry interdiction, community engagement and conducting searches at suspected areas.

Delivering his speech, the Francistown Deputy Mayor, Lesego Kwambala, advised the creative community to desist from using drugs. He said drugs and substance abuse, together with other social ills, have potential to harm the wellbeing and functioning of our society.

“We must tackle the issue of drug and substance abuse. The creative industry, with its unconventional working hours and social environments, can sometimes be a breeding ground for such activities.

“We need robust education and prevention programmes tailored specifically to the needs of this community. We must also ensure that there are avenues for rehabilitation and support for those who are struggling with addiction,” he said.

Kwambala added that we must implement policies that promote work-life balance, providing access to mental health services, and fostering a culture of support and collaboration within the industry, in line with the famous saying, “

(Many hands make light