Five senior and middle cadre officers of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) recently returned from the Federal of Germany where they successfully underwent a two-week intensive course on drug abuse prevention and drug trafficking control at Munich Drug Enforcement Academy.

The officers were exposed to a series of training, ranging from drug concealment methods in aircraft, how to search aircraft, weapon firing, investigation techniques, money laundering investigation techniques, compilation of case files, intelligence information and evidence handling, among others.

This is the fourth batch to benefit from overseas training in the course of this year.

Speaking to this paper on Friday, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of NDEA, Mr Ibrahim Bun Sanneh, said that the training came about through his friendly bilateral co-operation with development partners in the Federal Republic of Germany.
“This co-operation emerged as a result of a very successful international criminal case relating to drug trafficking in The Gambia by some German nationals residing in The Gambia, which was jointly conducted with NDEA and BKA of Germany. This resulted positively in the arrest of these drug offenders-proprietors of Car and Truck Import (CTI) company Ltd, situated at Bijilo.”

According to Mr Sanneh, with the quality of exposure and training they have acquired, their technical know-how and skills in the enforcement of drug laws would be sufficiently enhanced. “This is the first time the NDEA is assisted by the BKA of Germany to train NDEA officers to this magnitude at no cost”.

“I wish to place on record NDEA’s highest appreciation on behalf of my Board of Directors, Chairman, the Department of State for the Interior, the government of The Gambia in particular and the British High Commission, for sponsoring this important trip. My special thanks go to the Deputy High Commissioner in The Gambia, Jenny Feuton, and the UK Drug Liaison officer based in Nigeria, Mr John King, who were the forces behind this success.”

Meanwhile, The Point has reliably gathered that all the officers were awarded certificates for their outstanding performance during the training.