Heroin drug trafficking trade booming in the African coastlines

Heroin trafficking has found its way into the  African coast, therefore, there is an urgent need to improve maritime security in combating the trafficking of narcotics, people, firearms and other illicit goods.  

This was emphasized by ENACT on Tuesday during a three-part seminar that focused on the southern route as a gateway for heroin trade. Their research also emphasized on the growing narcotics trade that has fueled criminal governance.

The research paper authored by Simone Haysom, Peter Gastrow and Mark Shaw titled: The heroin coast: A political economy along the Eastern African seaboard was launched in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi on 2 and 3 July. 

The session which had attracted Diplomats, media, policy institutes and students also had a critical discussion on the linkages between drug trafficking and maritime crime of Africa’s East Coast at double tree Hilton, Nairobi.

Heroin which is a highly addictive drug is extracted from morphine. Heroin is more popular in the United States of America; it is usually brought into the country from South American, Mexico, and sometimes from Afghanistan or Southeast Asia.

Drug abuse in East Africa is currently a social issue. The heroin which is not pure has been mixed with other harmful substances. It has led to addiction, spreading HIV & Aids and death. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have the highest trade and use of drugs. In the Kenyan Coast, the youth are the most vulnerable due to unemployment. Heroin is shipped from Afghanistan through a network of maritime routes which stretches along East and southern Africa, known as the southern route; this is increasingly used by drug traffickers as a route for illicit shipment to Western Europe. 

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The expansion of heroin trade has been driven by the rapid growth of opium production in Afghanistan. Most of the heroin is meant to be shipped off to western markets, however, due to local consumption; heroin has found itself on the African coast. 

According to co-author, Simone Haysom, “Up to now, much of the focus has been on how heroin shipped along the southern route reaches Europe. This perspective tends to downplay the impact of the trade on transit countries in Africa”.

 The African continent is currently experiencing an increase in heroin use worldwide which has led to criminal networks and political elites in East and Southern Africa linked to the trade. They are usually untouchable due to their political status. 

This makes the ports to allow transnational organized crime and trafficking. Illegal drug flows in sea routes to East Africa are also hard for police to track leading to an increase in the trade. 

Haysome adds, "the heroin trade feeds a system of criminal governance in each country along the coast, tying political figures, their parties and prospects for democracy to the illicit economy”. 

 Ciara Aucoin, author of the paper titled Analyzing drug trafficking in East Africa: A media-monitoring approach during the second session analyzed media monitoring and also pointed up trends of organized crime in Africa by using news media in Kenya and Tanzania between 2008 and 2017.

  She said, "our findings showed interesting patterns not only in the drug trade but also in the reporting of major harmful drugs in the region". According to her findings heroin and cocaine trafficking in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda occurred in the major cities and coastal regions.

 Aucoin also highlighted that in order to tackle the drug trade; there is a need for press freedom, training and financial support for investigative journalism.

Journalism should be used as a watchdog to report on drug trafficking in East Africa, however, journalists do not have press freedom and the ability to report.

On top of that journalists lack financial resources which limit the quality and quantity of coverage on the topic of drug trafficking. 

This limits the public from getting full information to exert pressure on the government to respond to the illicit drug trade.’

The third session focused on the Linkages between drug trafficking and maritime crime off Africa’s East Coast. Maritime crimes such as piracy, illegal fishing drug trafficking, and people smuggling were mentioned during the session. 

It was emphasized that many states are hampered by a lack of capacity to prevent crimes at sea and maritime security because it is not a priority. The session critically discussed drug trafficking in the region against the broader backdrop of maritime insecurity and governance challenges. 

It also examined some of the new measures being implemented by regional states and partners to tackle the problems of piracy, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing.

Institute for security studies (ISS) senior researcher and maritime expert, Timothy Walker, described how a common, cross-border response is key in disrupting maritime crimes.   

"By examining the new measures being implemented by states and partners, we can begin to discern the most effective way for tackling problems of piracy, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing," said Walker. He added that states are now exploring ways of dealing with these threats in a comprehensive manner.ENACT regionally organized crime observatories (ROCOs) are also being established across Africa, covering the five regions in Southern Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and East Africa.

 Journalists have a great responsibility and play an important role in the fight against transnational organized crime. Their responsibility is to report on criminal activity, monitoring the integrity and independence of governance and mobilizing public opinion. Journalists should also be able to report on drug crimes without fear of the consequences of being faced by drug lords.

 ENACT is implemented by the  Institute for security studieswww.issafrica.org and Interpol  www.interpol.int  in association with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime www.globalinitiative.net.