During the press conference dedicated to presenting the Report on the Situation of Drug Consumption and Illicit Trafficking in the country in the first half of 2026, held in Maputo, Salma Iuraimadam, representative of the Ministry of Health, reported that a total of 17,783 patients presented with mental and behavioral disturbances caused by the use of psychoactive substances.
This number represents an increase of approximately 58% compared to the same period last year. At the event organized by the Central Office for Drug Prevention and Combat (GCPCD), the official detailed that the main reasons for seeking psychiatry and mental health services are multi-substance consumption and alcohol, registering 7,372 and 5,469 cases, respectively. Cannabinoids followed with 1,502 cases, and opiates with 1,100 cases.
Salma Iuraimadam emphasized that the age group between 21 and 35 years concentrates the highest volume of cases, a period characterized by higher school and professional activity. Although Maputo, the capital, leads in the number of attendances, Nampula, Manica, and Cabo Delgado also register significant levels of consumption of various substances.
The Ministry of Health representative warned about the risks of substance abuse, which can cause family disintegration, neglect of duties, and rupture of affective bonds. Additionally, certain drugs have the potential to trigger episodes of depression, severe anxiety, panic attacks, psychotic episodes, as well as liver and cardiovascular diseases.
José Bambo, head of the GCPCD's Drug Prevention Department, communicated that awareness initiatives implemented in the first half benefited more than 1.38 million people, with a special focus on adolescents and youth. He added that more than 21 thousand activists were mobilized and over 14 thousand lectures were conducted in communities and schools.
In criminal terms, 131 offenses related to the trafficking and consumption of narcotics were recorded, an increase from the 75 registered in the same period of 2025. The data also shows an increase in the number of criminal cases related to drugs. The National Criminal Investigation Service registered 418 cases in the first half of this year, compared to 250 in 2025, and the Attorney General's Office handled 651 cases, compared to the previous 418.
In combating trafficking, authorities announced the seizure of about one ton of cannabis, along with heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. José Bambo clarified that investigations indicate that the seized heroin mainly comes from India and Pakistan, while cocaine is linked to routes from Latin America, namely Brazil. The official observed that traffickers are adopting increasingly complex methods of hiding drugs.
The report also highlights the worsening involvement of Mozambican citizens in drug-related crimes abroad. The number of nationals detained in the diaspora increased from 42 to 56, with Brazil being the country with the highest incidence of cases. In Mozambique, at the end of the first half, 812 individuals were detained for drug-related crimes, a figure lower than the 844 registered in the corresponding period of 2025.