Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State parade suspects at police headquarters in Aweil following their arrest over the possession of 14 cartons of Tramadol. | Courtesy of NBG Police

Police in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, have arrested eleven people, including four women, and seized fourteen cartons of Tramadol in a targeted crackdown on drug trafficking and substance abuse.

State Police Spokesperson Colonel Madut Ngong Aleu confirmed that the suspects—seven men and four women—are currently in police custody as investigations continue.

Colonel Madut stated that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted the operation in Aweil as part of ongoing state efforts to combat the illegal trafficking and abuse of controlled narcotics.

Following the raid, Colonel Madut urged parents to advise their children against drug use, warning that substance abuse severely affects physical and mental health while destroying the future of young people.

“Today, the Criminal Investigation Department in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, conducted a crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse in the state,” Colonel Madut said.

“They seized fourteen cartons of Tramadol, a medication used for medical purposes but which some misuse as a narcotic. Police forces arrested eleven individuals, four women and seven men, who are currently in police custody. The seized drugs are being investigated.”

“I would like to address a message to mothers and fathers, urging them to advise their children to stay away from these practices and to stop using these drugs, as they negatively impact mental and physical health and destroy future generations.”

The Aweil arrests follow an operation in Juba where police at Juba International Airport apprehended two suspected drug dealers—a South Sudanese and an Eritrean national.

The two suspects were allegedly found in possession of fifteen cartons of narcotics reportedly destined for Renk County in Upper Nile State.

They were arrested by the CID Anti-Drug Unit as part of broader national efforts to combat drug trafficking and the trade of amphetamine-type substances.

Police records show previous interdiction efforts in the state.

In April 2026, CID officers in Aweil arrested two women for allegedly trafficking approximately seven kilograms of “Mango,” a dangerous, hunger-suppressing substance sold locally.