The members of Sami Kantora Women’s Charitable Association (SKWCA) based in Kombo were recently sensitized in the crusade on drug related crimes as well as teenage pregnancy.
The day-long synergy was held at the Semega Janneh hall at Buffer Zone in Tallinding and organized by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG) in partnership with Sami Kantora Women’s Charitable Association (SKWCA).
Deputing for the Director General of DLEAG, Bakary Gassamna, the Director of Intelligence and International Cooperation at the DLEAG, Lamin Gassama, remarked that “The impact and burden of drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related crimes on families, education, mental health, public health care system, the judiciary, the prisons and correctional facilities, road traffic accidents has led to broken homes, juvenile delinquency, criminal recidivism, huge financial burden on families, disappointment to parents and in some instances resulted in the loss of lives”.
According to Gassama, in some situations when an arrest is effected, mothers who strive hard in the market to make ends meet for their families have to continuously shuttle between the stations, court and finally prison while coping with complains and stress.
He vowed that they can put an end to this menace if only the DLEAG partners with associations like Sami Kantora Women’s Charitable Association in order to sensitize the public and prevent the onset of people involving in drug related crimes in the country while also discouraging those who are addicted to drug usage and its related crimes.
Gassama went on to explain that the involvement of women groups in this noble crusade is highly welcomed and commendable adding that youths may have been the most highly involved age bracket in drug related activities, the impact of which has been highly felt by the women folks.
“Drugs do not exist in isolation and cannot therefore be curbed by any single entity and battling drugs is a complex challenge that requires the use of multi skills, strategies and approach if we are to make progress,” Gassama informed Sami Women.
He said DLEAG will not leave any stone un-turn in their interdiction process while also calling on the general public to report drug related activities to law enforcement agencies if they suspect anything within their localities adding that DLEAG officials cannot be present everywhere and at every time.
Gassama warned those people who are harboring drug dealers or condoning such activities to know that they are architects of their own destruction and the law will surely catch up with them if they continue to be part of the process.