Libyan authorities have seized a shipment containing tens of thousands of ecstasy pills, each reportedly carrying the image of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Security officials said the drugs had been smuggled into the country from Europe.
Images released by authorities in Tripoli show brown-colored tablets molded in the shape of Gaddafi’s head and shoulders, with his distinctive face and clothing depicted on the pills.
Libya has increasingly become a major transit point for synthetic drugs and other narcotics destined for local markets as well as countries across North Africa and the wider region, according to a United Nations report published earlier this year.
Drug trafficking networks have taken advantage of the instability that has affected Libya since 2011, when Gaddafi was overthrown. The country subsequently entered a prolonged period of political division and armed conflict, creating conditions that have been exploited by criminal groups.
According to Libya’s Al Rada Agency for Combating Terrorism and Organized Crime, the shipment entered a Libyan port after passing through a European country. Authorities have not disclosed which European country was involved or identified the Libyan port where the drugs were intercepted.
The unusual design of the tablets, featuring the former leader’s likeness, has drawn particular attention following the seizure.
