According to a statement by Somaliland Police, a shipment of alcohol disguised as khat was confiscated, and officers who seized the illegal shipment of alcohol have turned down a large sum of cash as a bribe. Somaliland law strictly bans the import, sale, and consumption of alcohol and carries stiff penalties that include a minimum mandatory sentence of six months.
Although the amount of confiscated alcohol is small compared to others ceased by Somaliland Police, the Chief of Police Brigadier General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi Mohamoud (Dabagale) who spoke to the media, stated the smugglers were getting clever and changing tactics by using disguising their narcotics and alcohol as other consumables. Widely known as Dabagale, the Police Commander said that the country was under attack and that the goal of this attack is directed at the moral fabric of our people and asked for the public’s help in curbing the rising import of illicit drugs and alcohol in Somaliland.
Commander Dabagale also spoke of the fact that the suspects in custody tried to bribe their way out and offered three thousand US dollars to the arresting officers and possibly the pickup vehicle that transported the alcohol, one of whom as stated by the Commander has not eaten at that. The Commander praised the Police officers for their integrity and stated that the police is under major transformation and that he has seen many incidents where police offers have refused to take bribes to let suspects go.
Police Commander Dabagale has warned Khat importers to be vigilant of alcohol smugglers that use their product and image to bring alcohol into Somaliland. In addition, he warned the public against the rampant culture of bribes added it is a serious crime to offer bribes to law enforcement offers.
Despite the rising cost of living in Somaliland, salaries of Police officers low compared to other areas of public service. Somaliland Police budget for 2020 was 134,785,031,865 Somaliland Shillings or roughly 15.8 million US dollars.