An eastern Libyan military brigade says it seized more than 1.3 million narcotic pills during a raid in the south-eastern city of Kufra, following an exchange of gunfire with suspected traffickers.
Three soldiers were injured, according to the military account reported by Reuters on Saturday, 10 October. The seizure was announced on Friday.
Which force carried out the raid?
The operation involved the Subul al-Salam infantry brigade, which operates under the Land Forces General Staff of Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army.
According to Reuters, the military’s media unit said the brigade targeted locations used for trafficking drugs and other illicit goods in Kufra. The statement did not provide a financial value for the seizure. (reuters.com)
Libya’s House of Representatives-affiliated Almustaqbal news agency also reported that several suspected smugglers were detained. It did not give their number or identify them. (w.almustaqbal.ly)
Details remain limited
The published accounts do not identify the pills’ chemical composition or provide laboratory results. The military’s description of the substances and its account of the clash have not been independently established by Trivane.
The reports also do not set out charges against those detained or explain the intended destination of the shipment.
A wider trafficking problem
The seizure comes amid concern about Libya’s role in regional drug trafficking.
A report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in January examined trafficking patterns between 2020 and 2024. It identified Libya’s expanding role as a transit point for regional drug markets and rising domestic drug use, particularly involving synthetic substances.
According to the United Nations in Libya, these trends have consequences for public health, communities and stability. The report described synthetic drugs reaching North Africa and other parts of the continent. (libya.un.org)
This wider evidence provides context for the raid. It does not establish where the pills seized in Kufra originated or where they were being taken.
