Hargeysa, August 1, 2006 – Somaliland said on Tuesday it had arrested 36 people, some of them foreigners, on suspicion of drug trafficking.

Minister of interior Aden Mohamed Waqaf said: "More than 200 security officers searched 34 houses in eight different areas of Somaliland capital Hargeysa."

"About 36 people were arrested in the operation including foreigners and some members of the security forces."

He did not say where the foreigners came from.

"Consumption (of) and addiction to liquor and hashish has increased in major towns.

"Most of these drugs are smuggled by land, especially from Ethiopia."

Waqaf said a special unit to tackle the drug trade would soon be set up.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 199, but is not recognized internationally.

The government says it has maintained relative peace and stability, while Mogadishu has become a byword for violence and chaos.

Source: Reuters