9 addicts under arrest in Mukalla

MUKALLA, June 29 (Saba) - Police in Mukalla city in southern Yemen
arrested 9 drugs addicts on Sunday, according to the media center of
the Interior Ministry.

Three of the arrested, aged 18 -28, were seized on a car with a
Saudi number plate.

The six others were captured in another area in the city.

Drugs quantities, 30 grams each, were seized with the addicts.

The police are investigating the arrested to explore who supplied
them with drugs.

Earlier, marking the world anti-drugs day which falls on June 26,
the ministry said that about 28 tons of hashish along with 20
million pills of amphetamines were seized over the last year and the
first half of this year.

Last week, a huge drugs stash was found on two fishing boats off
Yemen's eastern province of Hadramout. Five Yemeni dealers were
sized on the boats along with two African smugglers.

Two Africans were seized on one of the boats and five Yemenis were
seized on the second boat.

The Africans were a Tanzanian and a Kenyan, ages 35-36, while the
five Yemenis were aged 19-52.

In May, the Anti-Drugs Authorities burned eighty three millions of
dollars' worth of drugs and six million pills of amphetamines.

About 75 suspects including 47 Yemenis, 12 Pakistanis, 10 Iranians,
2 Syrians, 2 Saudis and an Eritrean and an Ethiopian, have faced
drugs trafficking and trade charges in the country in recent months.

The trials of some of the suspected drugs dealers have been
completed with some sentenced to death and others to years in
prison. Other trials are still under process.

Drugs are usually trafficking through Yemen to neighboring states.