Thursday, March 09, 2023

Seychelles: The island paradise held prisoner by heroin from Iran

A high level of drug addiction can be devastating for a country! The population of this country is only about 100,000.

Just a reminder that drug legalization is no panacea either!

The main source of heroin appears to be Iran!

"Seychelles is facing what is now an epidemic.
It is estimated that around 10% of the Seychellois population is hooked on heroin. So much so that foreign workers are having to be brought in to do the work that drug-dependent locals cannot.
In the jail, Tanzanian guards are rotated onto the staff in an attempt to stem corruption and the flow of heroin into the cells - but it is not working. ...
President Wavel Ramkalawan ... "At this point in time, per capita, as far as consumption of heroin is concerned, Seychelles is number one in the world." ...
Methadone is also available to users outside prison. It is free to anyone who is registered, such is the extent of the epidemic. ...
The problem in Seychelles is so bad because the islands are caught up in well-established trafficking routes from Afghanistan and Iran to East Africa and Europe - but President Ramkalawan says the issue was exacerbated when a group of Iranian drug traffickers were incarcerated in the country.
"When they were here, they developed their network. After that, there were more Seychellois involved in the drug trade from Iran, and now today we find ourselves putting in so many resources just to fight those Iranian dhows coming into our waters to sell their poison." ..."

Seychelles: The island paradise held prisoner by heroin - BBC News: Some 10% of the local population in the tropical island nation of Seychelles is dependent on heroin in what is now an epidemic, according to the country's government. Even being locked away offers no protection for those dependent on the drug. BBC Africa Eye gained rare access to the main jail to witness the sharp end of a problem threatening to overwhelm the country.



No comments: