More than one tonne of cocaine has been seized by customs authorities in Senegal, marking the largest inland drug haul in the country’s history.
The interception occurred in the eastern town of Kidira, near the Mali border, where a lorry carrying 1,137kg (2,506 pounds) of cocaine was discovered. The drug was cleverly concealed in packets and placed in bags at the bottom of the lorry, which had entered from a neighboring country that remains unnamed.
Authorities revealed that the confiscated cocaine had a value of 90 billion CFA francs, equivalent to $146 million or £117 million. This incident highlights the increasing prevalence of large drug hauls in Senegal, particularly in the last year.
In a similar operation last November, the country’s navy seized a staggering three tonnes of cocaine from a ship off the coast, making it one of the navy’s biggest drug busts to date. Senegal has become a strategic transit point for Latin American cartels trafficking drugs to Europe and other regions.
The government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking have intensified as criminal groups attempt to exploit the region’s vulnerabilities. This latest seizure underscores the importance of international cooperation in the fight against drug smuggling and organized crime.
