Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
has stepped up its campaign to stamp
out use of the mild narcotic qat in a
Yemeni city it controls announcing
hefty fines for traffickers,
Chewing wads of the evergreen herb
has stimulant effect similar to drinking
numerous cups of strong coffee,and it is
part of the social fabric of Yemen
But a month after aqap seized control
of Hadramawt provincial capital Mukalla
in April,it banned the sale and consumption
of qat there,
The prohibition has apparently not worked.
Residents said member of extremist group
plastered posters on walls across the city late
Wednesday setting fines on the trade in qat.
Every trafficker arrested with a quantity of
up to kilogrammes (22 pounds) of qat will
be fined 500,000 riyals $2,5000 /2,252 euros
the poster warn
If the amount is between 10 and 100 kilogrammes
,the dealer faces a fine of one million riyals
And if the amount exceed that his vehicle
will be seized '
Aqap has exploited months of fighting in Yemen
between Iran -backed rebels and the beleaguered
Saudi backed government to take advantage
of the growing chaos.,
The United States considers it to be the extremist
groups deadliest global franchise and regularly
targets its militants with drone strikes on
Yemeni territory---
AFP
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