Drug Squad, Very Active!

A series of raids along the beach from Senegambia to Palma Rima have
redrawn attention to the activities of the anti-drug squad unit of the
police complimented by intervention from members of the army.

A limited measure of good luck brought some success to the latest raid
by the squad swiftly taking advantage of the element of surprise after
a tip-off that the Palma Rima beach was swarmed with smokers of
marijuana who were rounded up despite putting up some stubborn resistance.

Members of the squad without prior warning raided the Palma Rima beach
and arrested some men gathered in a favourite beach hideout partaking
of cannabis. The squad mainly deployed within the vicinity of the
Senegambia beach hotel was acting on reliable information.

While a team of five members of the squad stormed the beach other
officers waiting at the peripheries with a pickup vehicle made up
their rear and gave some of their targets no chance to escape. A last
minute alarm from one of the boys did little to prevent them being
rounded up although a few managed to escape.

According to the commander when the boy in question saw them coming he
had raised an alarm for his companions to take cover and subsequently
put up some stout resistance before he was eventually overpowered by
the raiding officers. He was seriously beaten and led away with the
others.

One of them was later released for lack of strong evidence linking him
to the group or the use of cannabis.

"Whether we accept it or not the beach is being turned into a cartel
for drugs. We are prepared to be ever vigilant in the beaches, in
towns and villages and the borders. Our aim is clear, that is to
hound, catch and punish those peddling drugs and those using it," the
commander who led the raid said.

This is not the first time a raid has been carried out by the police
and military personnel. Months ago the police had renewed their
declaration of war against drug use in the country and followed it
with a series of raids across the country that saw many arrests.