STORY: Houthis destroy large quantity of drugs in northern Yemen
DATELINE: June 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:37
LOCATION: Al-JAWF, Yemen
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Houthi military personnel destroying confiscated drugs

STORYLINE:

Yemen's Houthi rebels destroyed over 12 tonnes of hashish and 4.2 million narcotic pills in Al-Jawf province, northern Yemen, marking the first time a large quantity of drugs has been destroyed in the province under their control.

The Security Media Center, the official Houthi media outlet, said on Wednesday the drugs were destroyed in a public ceremony on Monday attended by a prosecutor.

The center said the destruction of the drugs was a "clear message" to the enemies of Yemen who are trying to target the country's youth with drugs.

The drugs were seized by Houthi security forces during previous periods, the Security Media Center said. They were destroyed to coincide with the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is observed on June 26 each year.

Yemen has been suffering from a bloody conflict for nearly nine years, which has led to a deterioration in the security situation and the growth of gangs involved in the promotion of banned substances in wide areas of the country.

The Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, have been accused of using drugs to finance their war effort. They have denied the allegations.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Al-Jawf, Yemen.
(XHTV)