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Al-Ahram Weekly 26 Aug. - 1 Sep. 1999 Issue No. 444 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 26 Aug. - 1 Sep. 1999 Issue No. 444
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Focus Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
Striking at the source
By Amira Ibrahim
In the depth of southern Sinai, units of border guards moved in at dawn on Sunday to raid a number of hashish and poppy plantations at Nabi Saleh village near St Catherine's Monastery. The troops were part of a campaign that swept northern and southern Sinai in a search-and-destroy mission against drug plantations. Units from the Second and Third Armies and the air force participated in the campaign along with police units from the Central Security Forces.
Border Guards Corps Chief-of-Staff Maj. Gen. Osama Kamel explained that the armed forces' strategy for combating drug cultivation in Sinai is to first increase the annual campaign to four raids throughout the year -- two in summer against hashish plantations and two in winter against hashish and poppy. Suspected areas are closely inspected at all times in order that drug cultivation be discovered at an early stage. Meanwhile, the main routes leading out of Sinai are placed under tight control in order to foil any smuggling attempt to the Nile Valley, the main consuming area.
Raiders benefit from the scarcity of water resources in summer. "This is the beginning of the cycle of cultivating hashish and it has not fully grown yet. With such heat, much effort is required to provide water for the plants, unlike winter in which rains provide the required water," Kamel said.
As a result, the discovered hashish and poppy plantations are fairly small and spread out over difficult mountain terrain. "We also discovered new areas that were being prepared for cultivation in winter, with space for storing water dug up beside them," Kamel said.
According to military figures, 45 to 50 feddans, mainly planted with hashish, were destroyed during the raids which lasted for five days. Plants were uprooted and heaped in stacks on one side and then set on fire. Wells dug beside the plantations were either destroyed or filled with sand. Trained dogs accompanied the troops to help them search for any drugs that might be buried in the mountains. According to statistics, 2,156 kilos of hashish were seized in Sinai in 1998; the figure dropped to 635 kilos in 1999.
Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Kamel said his men had been participating in combating drug cultivation in Sinai since 1993. "The armed forces are the shield of this country. Fighting drugs is a national duty that our units perform to protect and defend the interests of society," stated Kamel. "Defence Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi has issued orders that we place our abilities and facilities at the service of the war against drug cultivation in Sinai," he added.
The Sinai Peninsula was divided into 16 zones, 11 in central and southern Sinai under the control of the armed forces, and five in northern Sinai under the control of the Interior Ministry. Drug cultivation in Sinai goes back many years but flourished recently as a result of tighter control at borders designed to foil smuggling attempts. Cultivation was assisted by the nature of the terrain, large and deserted areas, as well as the nomadic life-style of Bedouin, who are constantly moving in search of grasslands to feed their cattle.
"One obstacle in our war is that we can never arrest those responsible for the cultivation," said Kamel. "The lands here do not belong to anyone. Whenever we catch suspected Bedouins, they easily get out of it by saying they were going after their camels which strayed onto the hashish plantations. That's the way they do it every time," Kamel said. But he added: "The Bedouins of Sinai are Egyptian and they are loyal to their country and society. The chiefs of the tribes cooperate with us and inform their people about the danger of drugs. We also have Bedouin agents who provide information about hidden plantations and drug storage areas."
Is the smoke a threat to the soldiers who burn the plants? Are they affected by the smell of the burning drugs? "We usually rotate the men who take part in a raid. In addition, medical check-ups are carried out periodically on the officers and men of the armed forces and they receive treatment when needed and health care," Kamel said with a smile.
