Senegalese navy busts trafficking attempt of 690kg of cocaine bound for Europe
The Senegalese navy has thwarted a drug trafficking attempt of 690 kg of cocaine. The substance, bound for Europe, was seized onboard a speeding boat.
The communication department of the Senegalese army indicated that the operation took place on Dec. 22, 220 km off the coasts.
The crew onboard the boat, five Spanish men, threw the shipment of cocaine over board as the navy patrol unit was nearing the boat, the department indicated.
The men were handed over to authorities for investigation.
The operation is the second in less than one month. The navy seized nearly 3 tons of pure cocaine on a cargo intercepted by a patrol vessel during the night of November 26-27.
The seizure is the largest ever made by the navy. It however rekindles concerns about drug trafficking in West Africa and its impact on a region grappling with significant political, socio-economic, and especially security challenges in its Sahelian part.
Experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) argue that drug trafficking in Africa is a “true vicious circle,” fueling organized crime and tensions among armed groups while financing them, Ecofin agency reports. June data from the UN agency note that 30 to 40 tons of cocaine and heroin transit annually through West Africa to Europe, with a value estimated at $1.25 billion.
According to the UN agency, 80 tons of cocaine were seized in West Africa, mainly in seven countries, including Cape Verde, Senegal, and Guinea between 2019 and 2023.
