Barely a week after clutching one of the country’s top drug dealer and the top most notorious drug kingpin in Brufut, the Drug Law Enforcement Agency The Gambia (DLEAG) have netted another nefarious drug baron. Lamin Touray Alias Mosquito was collared in Sukuta with seven (7) bags containing sixty five (65) big bundles of suspected cannabis on the 1 July 2021. The facinorous drug dealer was clutched while distributing his illicit products in West Coast Region and Kanifing Municipality on board a tinted Land Cruiser Prado vehicle with registration number BJL 3774 J.
CASE HISTORY OR PREVIOUS DRUG RELATED CASES OF LAMIN TOURAY ALIAS MOSQUITO
Lamin Touray alias mosquito is by far one of the most notorious drug dealers and distributors in the country as far as our records are concern. This is one person who is determined to poison our youths and flood our communities with illicit drugs. All what him and his ilk think about is how to amass their ill-gotten wealth irrespective of the harm caused or who is affected.
We will just mention few of the cases relating to him from our records in order for the populace to understand the kind of person he is. And we believe most of these people we are talking about have family members or associates who can reach out to them and advise them about the impact of their activities on society. If we collectively work towards identifying such people and shunning them, we believe that will definitely pressurize them towards thinking about venturing into legitimate businesses. The excuse of hardship isn’t premise on any solid foundation because even with this illicit trade, they need capital that will be invested with the expectation of a return on their investment. Such capital can be equally used to venture into licit trade and activities. However, one of the key motivating factor is the get rich quick syndrome and the expectation to make more money within the shortest possible time. Nothing good come easy. Therefore, let those engage in this satanic act understand this and exercise patient while venturing into trades and activities that conform to our laws and way of life.
- On 4th August 2016, Mosquito was arrested sixty five (65) Bundles of cannabis weighing fifty six kilograms, three hundred and eighty grams (56KG 380G). He was arrested at Kotu while on board his vehicle distributing his illicit products. Subsequently, he was arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates Court and charged for drug trafficking related offenses. At the end of the trial, he was acquitted and discharged.
- On the 27 June 2018, he was again arrested in his house with thirty four (34) bundles of cannabis weighing thirty seven kilograms twenty grams (37KG 20G). one hundred and twenty six (126) bundles of cannabis weighing one hundred and twenty three kilograms, twenty grams (123KG 20G) was also recovered from his vehicle (BJL 1068 J) parked at his residence in Brikama. He was accordingly arraigned before the Brikama Magistrates Court and charged with drug trafficking related offenses. Mosquito was acquitted and discharged by Magistrate PETER NCHE on grounds that the agency felt was not reasonable enough. Interestingly, relying on some legal technicalities, his vehicle from which substantial quantities of cannabis was recovered was also returned to him by the same court. There is no doubt that the huge quantities of drugs were recovered in the vehicle. He could not give any tenable grounds as to how the drugs got to the vehicle without his knowledge. We were therefore flabbergasted as to how such a vehicle could be returned to him while the drugs were forfeited to the State. This is just like giving him a tap in the back and the license to carry on with his illicit activities. We respect the independence of the judiciary and have high regards for the courts and the decisions of the court. This is why we never relent, neither tire nor frustrated in going after him and his ilk. In the same vein, we use laid down avenues to challenge the decision and that is why the AG’s Chambers is currently appealing the case. It will interest the public to know that the same vehicle released to him was again intercepted by operatives on the 11 September 2020 at Brusubi while on a cannabis distribution exercise. Equally interesting to note is that he used a minor Lamin Saine who is said to be an In-Law to him and one Fanding Bajong a Prison Officer. They were arrested with five (5) big bundles of Cannabis. They are currently standing trial on that matter.
- 0n the 2 February 2020, he was again arrested with forty five (45) big bundles of cannabis weighing thirty seven kilograms, six hundred and forty grams (37KG 640G) and six (6) stones of hashish weighing thirty eight grams, four hundred milligrams (38G 400MG) at Sukuta while on another distribution exercise. He was afterwards arraigned before the Brikama Magistrates Court and charged for drug trafficking. This case is currently proceeding.
Lamentably, after accruing this and many other cases, Lamin Touray will only spend a short while in remand and will succeed in securing bail from the high court come back to society and continues trafficking drugs.
The records of Mosquito with law enforcement and even the court speaks volume. One person having two to three cases ongoing in the same or sometimes different courts. Most of the notorious traffickers being arrested are repeat offenders. Some will have a matter ongoing, granted bail by the courts and the same week or so rearrested only for them to be acquitted and discharged.
Sometimes we understand the frustration of the public seeing people who have been repeatedly arrested being released back into society. We want them to understand that we are just one of many actors or players within the criminal justice system. We can only arrest, prepare our case files to the best of our ability and present our cases. If rulings do not go in our favor, there is nothing we can do other than to appeal.
One thing that is however very clear is that we are all partners in development. We must follow due process but equally owe it to duty bearers in ensuring that the Gambia becomes a hostile zone to criminal syndicates and those hell bent on undermining the rule of law. If those involve in criminality seem to be finding it easy within the criminal justice system, it sends the wrong signal and the multiplying implications could be very devastating. No one is immune and we are all only safe to the extent of the safety and security of our respective communities.
