Police in Mogadishu Seize Opioid Shipment Amid Concerns of Increasing Use

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somali police on Sunday intercepted two containers of narcotics at Mogadishu’s main port during a broadening crackdown on smuggling networks. Authorities are still tracing those responsible for the shipment.

According to Police spokesperson Abdifatah Adan Hassan, the containers held 112 cartons of Tramadol, plus 120 cartons of codeine syrup, and local pills known as Bilig bilig. He warned that these substances pose a severe health threat to Somali youth,

This seizure follows another significant interception just the day before—police halted 48 sacks of narcotics at Aden Adde International Airport, underscoring intensifying efforts against drug trafficking in the capital.

Over the past year, authorities in Mogadishu have stepped up operations at key entry points, disrupting flows of illicit pharmaceuticals and synthetic opioids. These consecutive seizures point to a growing and more organized underground market targeting vulnerable communities.

In Mogadishu’s Hodan and Banadir regions, medical professionals have reported a surge in tramadol addiction and dependence, a trend largely driven by high numbers of unemployed youth and informal fighters, with estimates putting tramadol-related crime at nearly 50% of offenses in some cases.