The numerous illicit trafficking cases noted IN recent times tend to make Senegal a drug-trafficking state. Significant seizures of drugs, particularly hard drugs, are noted and are frequent. The statistics attest to this: from January 2024 to the present, the cumulative number of reported seizures amounts to 1,240.44 kg of cocaine and 200 kg of cannabis, for a total value estimated at more than 99 billion 237 million (99,237,000,000) FCFA. This account does not even take into account the 805 kg of cocaine intercepted by the French Navy last January, the market value of which has not been revealed, and other operations concerning small quantities or other drugs seized. Added to this is the trafficking of counterfeit bank notes which is also becoming very important. Moreover, hasAt least 5 billion, 314 million 826 thousand 36 FCFA (5,314,826,036 FCFA) have been intercepted in counterfeit and black notes, since January 2024.
Has Senegal become a hub for drug trafficking and illicit and/or parallel trade? Long considered a transit country, particularly for hard drugs and drug trafficking, the country is currently facing large drug seizures which tend to confirm the major role it plays for traffickers. Worse, Senegal could also be a place of high drug consumption. On Sunday, April 14 alone, the Kidira Customs Commercial Brigade, Tambacounda Subdivision, South-East Customs Region recorded, in Kidira, a record seizure of 1137.6 kg of cocaine, never made on the roads of Senegal until -there.
The hard drug found hidden, thanks to a scanner, in an apparently empty truck coming from Mali, is valued at 91 billion FCFA. It is “the largest seizure of cocaine by land so far recorded in Senegal. It concerns 1137.6 kg of cocaine packaged in 948 strips and placed in bags carefully concealed in the false bottom of a refrigerated truck coming from a country bordering Senegal. Customs explains in a press release.
Previously, elements of this same Tambacounda Customs Subdivision, through the Koumpentoum Mobile Brigade, had got their hands on nearly 92 kg (91.84 kg) of cocaine (in Koumpentoum), on March 31. This hard drug is valued at 7 billion 347 million 200 thousand FCFA. The two escorts of foreign nationality were arrested.
2245.44 KG OF COACAIN SEIZED BY DEFENSE AND SECURITY FORCES, SINCE JANUARY 2024
On Tuesday March 5, 2024, it was the Keur-Ayib Customs Commercial Brigade, Kaolack Customs Subdivision, Central Customs Region, which distinguished itself with a seizure of hard drugs. The said seizure concerns eleven (11) kilograms of cocaine and two hundred (200) grams of cannabis, for a total equivalent value estimated at 890 million FCFA. Record seizures of cocaine are taking place in a short period of time.
What should also be noted is that these illicit operations, detected by the various Defense and Security Forces, are not isolated cases; they are recurrent. Indeed, the sea, the port of Dakar, the various border towns of the country, constitute entry points for narcotics and other illicit goods.
On the night of Friday January 5, 5 commandos from the French Navy went missing on the high seas. They were on board the high seas patrol boat, The Walo, and were pursuing a vessel suspected of international drug trafficking. The sailors were trapped by traffickers who would have preferred to sink their suspect ship. Their bodies have not yet been found.
In addition, last January, 805 kilos of cocaine were seized, off the Senegalese coast, on a ship, announced the Directorate of Public Relations of the Senegalese Armies (DIRPA), without giving details on the ship and the value of cargo.
In short, in total, Senegalese Customs seized a declared total of 1,240.44 kg of cocaine and 200 g of cannabis, for a total estimated value of 99 billion 237 million (99,237,000,000) FCFA. Added to this are the 805 kg of cocaine captured by the French Navy on the high seas last January, the market value of which has not been determined. This makes a total seizure of 2,245.44 kg of cocaine revealed by the Defense and Security Forces, since January 2024.
THESE EXPLOITS OF THE NATIONAL NAVY, BETWEEN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER 2023
The current trends are only a continuation of a situation observed since the end of the year. Indeed, on the night of November 26 to 27, 2023, nearly 3 tons of cocaine were discovered by the Senegalese Navy on board a boat. The ship was intercepted more than a kilometer from Dakar, with 10 people including a Senegalese on board.
The authorities responsible for the fight against drug trafficking, through the DIRPA press release, had not determined the estimated market value of this drug, even if during the seizure of a shipment of nearly 3 tons of cocaine off the coast of Dakar, on May 23, 2023, they estimated this illicit merchandise at 126 billion FCFA.
On Friday December 22, 2023, the Senegalese Navy seized, 220 km off the coast of Dakar, 690 kg of cocaine which was being transported to Europe in an ultra-fast go-fast type boat and arrested the five Spaniards on board. The patrol boat had to issue verbal warnings and warning shots to stop the vessel. Here too, DIRPA remained silent on the estimated value of this drug.
Previously, on the night of November 26 to 27, 2023, the patrol boat “The Fouladou” of the French Navy intercepted another boat 150 km south of Dakar, with nearly 3 tonnes of cocaine (2975 kg) on board. Even if no information has been given regarding the value of this big catch, it can be argued that it should cost more or less around 126 billion FCFA.
Especially since, on December 14, 2023, about a month later, the French Navy will board another boat 450 km south of Senegalese waters, carrying 3 tons of cocaine. This record seizure was estimated at a minimum value of 120 billion FCFA.
A few months earlier, in October 2022, a seizure of 300 kilograms of cocaine was made by Senegalese Customs in Kidira, for an estimated value of 24 billion FCFA. Customs agents from the Kidira Commercial Brigade found behind the conveyors of this drug coming from Mali foreign currencies including 2000 dollars, 10,028 leones, 250 ouguiyas, 830 thousand FCFA as well as Guinean francs. The list of hard drug seizures over the past 12 months is far from exhaustive.
MORE THAN 5,314,826,036 SEIZED IN FALSE BANK NOTES, SINCE JANUARY 2024
Senegal is also faced with the illicit circulation of currencies, including foreign ones. And in addition to narcotics, the many billions in black notes and counterfeit notes intercepted in recent months say a lot about the phenomenon and attest to the scale of this form of crime.
On Tuesday April 16, 2024, a large sum of black notes was taken out of circulation in the south of the country, in Goudomp, for an estimated value of 05 billion FCFA. A raid, carried out by elements of the Tanaff Customs post, in the department of Goudomp (Sédhiou), which allowed the seizure of this windfall composed of four (04) million in denominations of 50, 10 and 200 Dollars; four (04) million in denominations of 500, 200 and 100 Euros as well as two hundred (200) million in CFA francs. A total of 4 people were arrested, including two of Senegalese nationality and two of foreign nationality.
About ten days earlier, the Customs Special and Research Brigade (BSR) reporting to the Dakar-Exterior Subdivision, Western Regional Customs Directorate, made a seizure of black notes with a value of 314,826. 036 FCFA, Sunday April 7, 2024 at the Cité Balabey in Thiès.
Already, on Sunday December 3, 2023, the Research Brigade (BR) of the Keur Massar Gendarmerie seized nearly 2 billion CFA francs in counterfeit notes. A Gambian national and a Senegalese national were arrested and detained. He is a businessman and a civil engineering technician.
Long considered a transit zone for drugs produced in Latin America destined for Europe, West and Central Africa has also become a region of high consumption, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Fatou NDIAYE & I.DIALLO
