Palestinians blame Israel for Gaza drug trade
Gaza is experiencing a surge in illegal drug trafficking, addiction and crime.
![Palestinian authorities confiscate illegal drugs in Gaza.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2022-10/IMG_20221025_192457_169.jpg?h=ca3aa0e6&itok=xI8TC9Mq)
Captagon, tramadol, marijuana, or ecstasy and happiness pills, as locals call them, have been pouring into the Gaza Strip in large quantities compared to the relatively low population of Gaza amounting to slightly over 2 million people.
Iyad al-Buzum, spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, “The products that enter Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing are thoroughly inspected by the [Israeli] occupation authorities, which have advanced screening devices.”