In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, South Sudan's police service has seized approximately six million strips of the narcotic painkiller Tramadol during an anti-narcotics operation in Nimule. The Inspector General of Police, General Saeed Chawul Lom Ayuel, announced that several suspected drug dealers have been arrested and are currently being interrogated.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department last week in the border town of Nimule. According to General Chawul, those arrested have allegedly identified accomplices operating both inside and outside South Sudan.
This is one of the largest anti-narcotics operations conducted by authorities in recent years. In July 2025, security forces in Melut County, Upper Nile State, arrested several suspects found with Tramadol and other suspected narcotic drugs during an operation targeting illegal drug distribution networks.
The seizure comes as part of ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and the illegal distribution of narcotics. The South Sudan Police Service has pledged to continue working with other security agencies to dismantle drug trafficking networks and bring those involved to justice.
Background: South Sudan has struggled with issues related to drug trafficking in recent years, with several operations conducted by authorities aimed at disrupting these networks. In January 2024, police in Juba arrested 15 suspects during operations in Mangala and the Juba Two area, recovering a large quantity of opium and several machetes.
The exact source of the seized Tramadol strips is not specified in available reports, but investigations are ongoing to determine this information as well as possible links to wider trafficking syndicates.