STRENGTHEN LAW ON DRUG TRAFFICKING, LEADERS SAY

UGANDA was on Tuesday asked to strengthen her anti-narcotics laws to
counter drug trafficking in the region.

The call was among the resolutions contained in a joint communique issued
at the end of a three-day conference on drug trafficking for security
chiefs in the region, held at Hotel Africana.

The director CID, Elizabeth Kuteesa, read out the communique.

It said drug traffickers and cartels had taken advantage of Uganda's weak
laws to turn the country into a major trafficking conduit.

It said the anti-narcotics unit had bust a notorious drug-dealing cartel
whose members were West Africans.

The British High Commissioner to Uganda, Adam Wood, called for greater
cooperation between member states in the fight against drug trafficking and
pledged more funding and technical support to the region.

Member states agreed to step up information exchange with international
enforcement agencies, to effectively monitor sea cargo and to continue with
regional training programmes.

Kuteesa said the improved profiling and a recent crack down on drug
traffickers leading to a number of arrests at the Entebbe International
Airport, has caused the traffickers to change tactics.

The conference was sponsored by the British government.