NDEA communiqué - Six arrested in operation Katiti |17 September 2014

The National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) has arrested six persons as part of an operation codenamed Katiti in the Point Larue and Anse Aux Pins areas to counter the growing tendency for drug abuse there.

The operation has been initiated in response to the increasing use of these areas by outsiders, who arrive there to conduct their drug dealing and distribution network. It has been necessitated by the growing concern expressed by residents, which is supported by the recent arrest statistics for Anse Aux Pins and Point Larue that show that 64% and 43% respectively of those arrested there do not live in either area. As a result of the presence of these outsiders the drug-related arrests in both areas is almost twice that for the remainder of the country.

The strategy being pursued by the NDEA operation involves maintaining a greater presence, arresting where necessary, stopping, searching and controlling those involved in drug-related activity, with a view to preventing the use of either area from being used for drug-related activity.

In undertaking this operation the NDEA is working closely with both communities and has enlisted the help of a variety of partners in the effort to eliminate drugs from their areas. The majority of those involved are young impressionable people who are doing irreparable damage to their health and damaging the family and social fabric of the societies in which they live.

The NDEA is adopting a pro-active approach to increase awareness of the dangers of drugs especially among young audiences, with its continuing schools programme. The programmes being undertaken emphasise the real dangers and adverse effects of drugs on health, society and the general population.  

“In educating our youth of the new amendments to associated drug legislation, along with the harsher penalties that drug offenders face, we are ensuring that young people are aware, not only of the ill effects on their own health, but also the lasting detrimental effects a drug conviction or even a drug-related arrest may have on their lives and future prospects,” said an NDEA spokesperson.