Personal Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Justice detained in India on drug trafficking charges
The personal secretary to the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Constitutional Affairs, and Religious Affairs (MJACR), Filimão Suaze, was detained on January 8th in India on charges of drug trafficking.
Although information on the case remains scant and details are limited, the Minister of Justice has confirmed the detention of Ana Massuanganhe and stated that they are awaiting further details from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MINEC), which is overseeing the matter.
As of now, the exact quantity and intended destination of the drugs found in possession of the Deputy Minister of Justice's personal secretary remain unknown. However, Torre.News has learned that diplomatic efforts have been made to seek the extradition of the detainee to Mozambique.
Helena Kida, the Minister of Justice, has assured that Ana Massuanganhe has been removed from her position at MJACR, and a new personal secretary has been appointed for Filimão Suaze, the Deputy Minister.
“We cannot know who is who,” lamented the minister, in statements to the newspaper Evidências, an independent weekly in Mozambique.
It should be noted that drug trafficking is a crime that greatly concerns Mozambican authorities, to the extent that the Attorney General's Office initiated approximately 1,200 criminal cases related to drug trafficking last year alone.
The involvement of justice system employees in such crimes is also troubling to authorities, although the Attorney General's Office cites the vulnerability of the country's borders as the primary cause of the increase in cases.
