The number of people arrested in the country in connection with drug trafficking cases almost doubled from 45 to 89 between 2003 and 2024, the President of the Supreme Court said today in Maputo.

"Although there has been a reduction in criminal cases, from 2003 to 2024 there has been a doubling in the number of people convicted, from 45 to 89. These facts not only make the fight against drugs more relevant, but also alert us to the worrying signs of the impoverishment of values that underpin a democratic state governed by the rule of law," said Adelino Muchanga.

Muchanga was speaking at the two-day III International Colloquium on Procedural Law: Strengthening the role of the judiciary in preventing and combating terrorism and drug trafficking.

On the occasion, the Attorney General of the Republic, Américo Letela, defended the modernization of the judicial sector to deal with current crime models, based on the use of technology.

For Letela, the focus should be on digitalization and computerization to increase procedural efficiency.

The Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs points to the need for continuous training of justice officials linked to the prevention of transnational crimes and advocates "robust cooperation".