Experts want drugs proceeds used to fight addiction

By LUCIANNE LIMO and LINAH BENYAWA

Suspected drug barons named by the US government should be prosecuted and their money used to build rehabilitation centres for drug addicts, health experts have said.

The experts said since the release of the names of the suspects there was an upsurge of cases of withdrawal symptoms from drug addicts.

"The naming of suspects led to the shortage of drugs. This also made the little available too expensive for addicts to afford resulting to many suffering from withdrawal symptoms," said Dr Marx Okonji, chairman of the Kenya Psychiatrists Association.

Okonji said the 1994 Narcotic and Psychotropic Act stipulates that once drugs barons are caught, they have to forfeit their property for the construction of rehabilitation centres.

Significant decrease

Coast PC Ernest Munyi said there has been a significant decrease of drugs supply after police sealed all the porous routes used by traffickers.

Yesterday, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced it had partnered with the Government to train 700 health workers on how to deal with withdrawal symptoms from drug addicts.

Meanwhile, police in Mombasa have recovered drugs valued at Sh40,000 from suspected peddlers.

DC Abdi Mohammed said they recovered 10 rolls of bhang and 47 packets of rohypnol.

He said the two were trafficking the drugs when they were arrested.