In Africa, drugs find way around coronavirus restrictions (Voice of America) 

Voice of America News (USA) published an article on drugs and drug use in Africa. Africa’s activity as a global illicit drug hub continues even as many of the continent’s biggest economies have imposed restrictions on movement to try to stop the spread of coronavirus. American drug enforcement officials say they’re especially concerned about what appears to be the rising incidence of drug use on the continent, indicating that Africa is not just a transit point, but increasingly, a market of its own. Coronavirus lockdowns across Africa have seriously battered formal economies, with economic giant Nigeria losing an estimated $18 billion during its five-week lockdown from March to April, according to data from IFPRI. But still, says a top American anti-drug official, drugs — and other illegal goods —are still finding a way both through the continent and to consumers in Africa. In the midst of South Africa’s extremely strict lockdown, police seized a consignment of cocaine worth more than 1.8 million dollars.