Tunis: Tunisia is preparing to revise its narcotics law, in force since 1992, with the aim of developing tools to combat smuggling and dismantle organised crime networks whose activities have evolved at the local, regional and international levels, particularly through the use of modern communication technologies. According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, Mohamed Ali Chaibi, head of the Narcotics Control Service at the Judicial Police Directorate in El Gorjani, stated that the Interior Ministry is currently working on revising Law No. 52 of 1992 due to the evolution of drug-related crime. He emphasized the need for new mechanisms to dismantle networks and intercept communications, in light of modern technologies used in crime. Chaibi highlighted that the last partial revision of the narcotics law occurred in 2017, which allowed judges to apply mitigating circumstances in certain drug-use cases while maintaining severe penalties for traffickers. Before this amendment, the law restricted courts from reducing sentences for first-time drug users, which legal experts argue negatively impacted many young people. The importance of international cooperation, especially with neighboring countries, was underscored by Chaibi in combating drug trafficking through joint investigations and information exchange. Tunisia's strategic location in the Mediterranean and North Africa, near Europe, makes it a crossroads for major drug-trafficking routes, with drugs entering by sea, air, and land. Large quantities of cocaine and ecstasy enter Tunisia through its border with Libya, a country identified as a storage area for various drugs due to security issues since 2011. This aligns with a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report highlighting drug trafficking dynamics in Libya and North Africa. The sale of ecstasy in Tunisia has grown, particularly in entertainment venues, fueled by the country's tourism sector and youthful population. Chaibi noted the emergence of a market for Lyrica tablets, brought from India thr ough a route involving Turkey, Libya, and Tunisia, with significant quantities remaining in the country. Chaibi also addressed the involvement of Tunisian freight carriers and members of the African community in trafficking networks. He reported an increase in cocaine seizures and narcotic tablets over the past five years, with a record seizure of 12 million narcotic tablets at the port of Rades in September 2025. The number of drug-related cases and arrests has surged significantly from 2020 to 2025, highlighting the growing challenge. Chaibi emphasized a dual approach in combating narcotics: controlling supply, led by security services, and reducing demand through awareness campaigns involving families, educational institutions, media, and civil society. The Ministry of Family, Women, Children, and the Elderly is implementing a national awareness program on preventing risks linked to narcotics networks, in collaboration with various ministries and organizations. Chaibi stressed that the revised law would apply to anyone under its scope, regardless of their position or social rank.