Initiative against transnational crime, Netherlands institute warn on deadly synthetic drug
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, have alerted stakeholders on the rising cases of a synthetic drug called Kush and the need to disrupt its supply chains across West Africa. In a new report titled ‘Kush in Sierra Leone: West Africa’s growing synthetic drugs challenge,’ […]
global initiative against transnational organised crime (gi toc)
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, have alerted stakeholders on the rising cases of a synthetic drug called Kush and the need to disrupt its supply chains across West Africa.
In a new report titled ‘Kush in Sierra Leone: West Africa’s growing synthetic drugs challenge,’ the GI-TOC and Clingendael Institute called on stakeholders to fight against the consumption of the synthetic drug which, they said, has killed thousands of people in the region, with Sierra Leone as its epicentre.
In a joint press release highlighting the findings of the research, the organisations said Kush first emerged in Sierra Leone in 2022 and has since spread to Liberia, Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.
Daily Trust reports that the research did not identify Nigeria as a growing market for the synthetic drug.
The release, however, stated that the Kush trade, once controlled by large criminal groups, is now increasingly fragmented, with smaller operators taking part in its production and distribution and some networks reportedly having links to state-embedded actors.
It stated that research into supply chains and trafficking routes revealed that some of the substances are being imported through maritime routes and postal courier services from China, the Netherlands and most likely the United Kingdom.
“All three countries own part of the responsibility for the Kush crisis and the harm to people in Sierra Leone, and West Africa more broadly,” said Dr Kars de Bruijne, head of the West Africa and Sahel programme at the Clingendael Institute.
It further stated that chemical tests found over 50 per cent of Kush samples contain nitazenes, a synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl, while the rest contain synthetic cannabinoids, which the report said the composition makes Kush a deadly substance.
To curtail and mitigate the consumption of the synthetic drug, GI-TOC and the Clingendael Institute advocate for building an evidence-based response by strengthening monitoring, early warning, testing and information-sharing across West Africa.
They also called for disrupting supply chains in source countries, particularly China, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as tightening scrutiny of entry points such as maritime ports, international airports, and the postal service.