The Ethiopian Customs Commission said it is struggling with the growing sophistication and capacity of drug smugglers who use Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Ethiopia is becoming among one of the emerging transit hubs for smugglers. Of around 156 drug seizures of outgoing drugs in Brazil, 64 were planned to arrive in or transit through Ethiopia, according to a report published by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in March this year.
In response to questions from lawmakers in the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), Customs Commissioner Debele Kabeta said drugs like cocaine are being smuggled into Ethiopia in large quantities.
“Smugglers are working hard to use Addis Ababa as their destination and transit point,” he said. “These practices at the airport were never a trend in Ethiopia previously.”
Reports show vastly growing smuggling activities in the country this year compared to previous practices. Last fiscal year, the Commission confiscated smuggled goods worth 4.5 billion birr, but this grew to 10.2 billion birr a month ahead of the end of current fiscal year.