Mauritius: Mauritius wages war on drugs

27 Septembre 2017

PORT-LOUIS, Mauritius, September 27 (Infosplusgabon) - Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Wednesday said “Mauritius is at war against drugs" and it is a war that must be won.

Speaking at a workshop on drug addiction, the Prime Minister recalled that after taking office in 2016, he decided to wage a war on drugs and placed this issue as one of his top priorities.

“My approach to dealing with the drugs issue is based on compassion on the one hand and zero-tolerance, on the other hand. Compassion for the drug users because most of them have to be seen as victims rather than criminals. Zero tolerance with drug traffickers and dealers for they are the real criminals”, he said.

Mr Jugnauth said his government will make sure that all the drug traffickers and dealers in Mauritius “are where they belong, that is behind bars.”

“As a result of the measures put in place and the recent big seizures effected, a shortage of hard drugs such as heroin is being noted," he observed, before assuring the population that the war on drugs he has started “will only end when we win”.

NGOs believe that more than 10,000 Mauritians use drugs in the island.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/BNV/GABON 2017

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