Human Rights Solidarity Organization Marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with Urgent Call to Address Escalating Drug Crisis in Libya

Ref: PRS 2026/06/1054

June 26, 2026

Human Rights Solidarity Organization Marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with Urgent Call to Address Escalating Drug Crisis in Libya

Tripoli – 26 June 2026

On the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Libyan Human Rights Solidarity (LHRS) warns that Libya is facing a rapidly escalating drug crisis that threatens public health, fuels corruption, empowers armed groups, and undermines national stability. For the first time, LHRS formally joins the global observance of this day, underscoring the urgency of confronting the spread of drugs and the criminal networks driving it.

A Global Problem with Local Consequences

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 316 million people used drugs in 2023, an increase of 28% over the past decade, while cocaine production and trafficking have reached historic highs. Synthetic drugs and illicit pharmaceuticals are expanding rapidly, driven by low production costs and weak regulatory environments. These global shifts are reshaping drug markets across Africa, including Libya, where instability and fragmented governance have created fertile ground for traffickers.

Libya: From Transit Corridor to Regional Trafficking Hub

UNODC’s 2026 report on drug trafficking in Libya and North Africa confirms a dramatic rise in the volume and variety of drugs moving through the country. Libya has evolved from a peripheral transit corridor into an emerging redistribution hub for cocaine, cannabis resin, synthetic drugs, and illicit pharmaceuticals.

Recent seizure data shows that cocaine is now being shipped directly from South America to Libya, bypassing traditional West African routes. In May 2026, Spanish authorities intercepted a vessel carrying 35–40 tonnes of cocaine, the largest seizure in Spain’s history, on a route from Sierra Leone to Benghazi. The scale of the shipment and its declared destination highlight Libya’s growing role in global cocaine logistics.

At the same time, Libya has become a significant market for Tramadol, Pregabalin, Methamphetamine, and “Captagon”, with cheap synthetic drugs increasingly consumed by young people facing unemployment, trauma, and social marginalization.

Armed Groups and the Criminal Economy

LHRS expresses deep concern over the documented involvement of armed groups in drug trafficking and related illicit economies. UNODC and UN Panel of Experts findings indicate that certain groups, including those controlling key ports, border crossings, and coastal areas, profit from trafficking through taxation, protection fees, and direct participation.

In eastern Libya, where Haftar’s self‑styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) exert territorial control, evidence points to the use of strategic infrastructure to facilitate or tolerate large‑scale smuggling operations. The convergence of drug trafficking, fuel smuggling, weapons flows, and black‑market currency schemes has created a poly‑criminal ecosystem that entrenches armed‑groups power and weakens state institutions.

A Public‑Health and Human‑Rights Emergency

Drug use in Libya is rising sharply. The National Strategy on Drugs 2025–2030 highlights widespread public concern over addiction, family breakdown, mental‑health disorders, and the exploitation of children in drug distribution. Treatment services remain limited, under‑resourced, and inaccessible to many communities.

LHRS stresses that drug policy must be grounded in human rights, not punitive approaches that criminalize users while leaving high‑level traffickers untouched. People struggling with addiction require access to voluntary, evidence‑based treatment, mental‑health support, and social protection, not stigma or imprisonment.

LHRS Calls for Immediate Action

LHRS urges Libyan authorities to:

• Implement the National Strategy on Drugs with transparency and measurable benchmarks.
• Investigate and hold accountable armed groups and officials involved in trafficking.
• Strengthen border, port, and maritime controls with independent oversight.
• Expand treatment, rehabilitation, and harm‑reduction services, especially for youth.
• Protect children from exploitation in drug distribution networks.
• Ensure that drug control efforts respect human rights, due process, and nondiscrimination.

LHRS calls on international partners to:

• Support Libya with technical assistance, intelligence‑sharing, and capacity‑building.
• Condition security assistance on human‑rights compliance and noninvolvement in trafficking.
• Strengthen regional cooperation to dismantle transnational drug networks.
• Support Libyan civil society in monitoring abuses and promoting accountability.

A Turning Point for Libya

Drug trafficking and drug use are no longer peripheral issues, they are central to Libya’s security, governance, and human‑rights landscape. The 2026 cocaine seizure destined for Benghazi is a stark warning: Libya is now deeply embedded in global trafficking routes, and the consequences for its people are severe.

On this International Day, LHRS reaffirms its commitment to documenting abuses, advocating for accountability, and promoting a rights‑based approach to drug policy. Libya’s future depends on confronting the drug crisis with courage, evidence, and a firm commitment to human dignity.

Human Rights Solidarity Organization

Tripoli, Libya
June 26, 2026