Two dead as weed smugglers, PDF clash in North Darfur

A member of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) and a cannabis smuggler were killed on Tuesday in an exchange of fire in El Taweisha locality in North Darfur.

The PDF intercepted a vehicle on its way from East Darfur to Khartoum. A gang were attempting to smuggle cannabis to the Sudanese capital.

A local official said a firefight ensued during which one of the smugglers, as well as a PDF member, were killed. 7,000 cannabis cobs (known locally as Bango) were seized, as well as the Land Cruiser in which they were being transported.

Cash crop

As a tempting and lucrative cash crop, Darfur is a major source of cannabis in Africa. In November, security forces staged a major campaign in El Radoom locality in South Darfur, during which 6,500 acres of cannabis farms were destroyed and 50 tons of drugs seized.

Following the campaign, Sudan’s Second Vice-President, Hasabo Mohamed Abdelrahman, appealed to the residents of El Radoom locality to cultivate rice instead of cannabis on their farms.