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Parliament adopts tough bill on drugs

Parliament in Burkina Faso has adopted a bill providing for tougher punishment for the production, sale and use of illegal drugs, according to AFP. AFP quoted Francoise Odette Coulibaly, chair of the Burkinabe parliament's Commission on Social and Institutional Affairs, as saying that stiffer penalties would be imposed on offenders working in syndicates and those who recruit minors or the mentally handicapped. Offenders could face prison sentences of between 10 and 20 years. Fines could range from five million to 25 million CFA francs (US $8,000 to $42,000 dollars). If the bill is signed into law, a drug investigation unit will be established.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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