Tunisian justice is going through a new course in its fight against drug trafficking. A Tunisian national, forty -year -old living abroad, was sentenced by the criminal chamber of the Tunis court of first instance to 30 years in prison and 300,000 fine dinars (around 90,000 euros) for introducing a large amount of cannabis resin to Tunisia. A decision that illustrates a manifest hardening of criminal policy against traffickers.
According to elements of the file, the accused had sent 262 cannabis plates, or about 215 kilos, hidden in four travel suitcases, before hiding them in his apartment located in the Jardins de Carthage, in the northern suburbs of Tunis.
The authorities claim that he intended to sell this commodity in several festive areas of the country, notably Gammarth, Sousse, Hammamet, as well as in school circles – a detail which has greatly aggravated its file.
Towards zero tolerance?
While sentences for personal use are still the subject of public and parliamentary debates, the repression of organized traffic is experiencing a clear legal tightening. Current Tunisian legislation, including Law No. 92-52 of May 18, 1992, modified in 2021, provides heavy sentences for aggravated traffic, which can go as far as perpetuity in certain extreme cases.
According to a report by the Tunisian National Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction, drug entries increased considerably in 2024, particularly cannabis (or “Zattla”). Coastal areas and schools are identified as the privileged targets of networks.
