Among the eight individuals apprehended during the operation led by OCRTIS, which led to the seizure of 22.6 kg of cocaine in Keur Ayib and Ngor-Virage, six are currently in detention for serious charges. According to investigations reported by Libération, each member of the network had a specific responsibility in the organization, which extended between Guinea-Bissau and France, passing through Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Morocco and Belgium .
“Scarface”
Under his civilian identity, Sylvain Bathiapara Mendy is designated as the mastermind behind the cocaine trafficking network recently dismantled by OCRTIS, operating between the Senegalese-Gambian border, Dakar and Mbour, and to which the son of former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck is also related.
Sylvain Mendy was arrested on May 13 in Keur Ayib, in the company of a driver-mechanic named Pathé Guèye. The two men were traveling in an immaculate 4×4 Land Cruiser to The Gambia for a cocaine delivery. Eighteen kilos of this substance were discovered cleverly hidden in the vehicle doors.
The pseudonym of Sylvain Bathiapara Mendy, “Scarface”, was one of the contacts of Sidy Diatta and Alain Boyer, arrested a month earlier for hashish trafficking. Investigators established that Mendy maintained significant financial ties with Diatta and Boyer, supported by communications on WhatsApp, exchanges of photos of hashish and double-bottomed suitcases, as well as captures of land titles. These elements allowed the police to trace the network.
After the seizure of 18 kg of cocaine in Keur Ayib, OCRTIS also discovered 39 grams then 2.6 kg of the same drug respectively in Mendy’s residence in Nguérigne Sérère and in his apartment in Ngor-Virage.
When confronted by authorities, “Scarface” attempted to downplay the implications of his alleged accomplices, claiming to be solely responsible. He also admitted being convicted in France for drug trafficking and traveling to Gambia three weeks before his arrest to collect drugs.
Sylvain Bathiapara Mendy is accused of criminal conspiracy to import cocaine for trafficking within an organized criminal group, money laundering and illegal possession of a firearm.
Abdoulaye Seck
He is being prosecuted for criminal conspiracy in a cocaine import business, money laundering within an organized criminal group, as well as possession, supply and facilitation of drug use. Although Seck’s role and position in the “Scarface” network remains unclear, he is the one whose name has been mentioned the most, due to his family ties to former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck.
Abdoulaye Seck was arrested in the clinic where his wife had just given birth, according to media reports. According to OCRTIS investigators, he managed a drug sales point established at the Terrou-Bi hotel. During the search of his suite, the security service discovered bottles of nitrous oxide.
In his defense, Seck claimed that he was staying at Terrou-Bi “for various reasons”, without providing details, and that the nitrous oxide was intended for his friends who came to visit him in his suite.
Abdoulaye Seck told investigators he met “Scarface” in France when he was 17. The two men later met at Marist. At first, according to the “son of…”, Mendy made him believe that he worked in the automobile sector. He then revealed to her that he was involved in drug trafficking, attempting several times, unsuccessfully, to implicate her in his illicit activities.
“Scarface” corroborated Seck’s statements, asserting that the latter had no direct or indirect connection with his criminal activities.
The public prosecutor will appreciate it.
Pathé Guèye
Driver-mechanic, Pathé Guèye is considered a close collaborator of Sylvain Bathiapara Mendy, according to OCRTIS investigators. He was arrested at the same time as the latter in Keur Ayib, in possession of 18 kg of cocaine.
The day before their arrest, the two men were spotted in Ngor-Virage by police officers monitoring them. Mendy owned an apartment in this neighborhood where OCRTIS elements discovered 2.6 kg of cocaine during a search.
The exact role of Pathé Guèye in the “Scarface” network remains to be determined. Was he responsible for modifying the alleged mafia’s vehicles to hide drugs? The investigation will have to provide answers.
The driver-mechanic is being prosecuted for criminal conspiracy to import cocaine for trafficking within an organized criminal group and money laundering.
Amadou Diam Ndoye
He was arrested at the same time as Ousmane Faye and Ibrahima Faye in Nguérigne Sérère, where “Scarface” has a residence. During the search of the villa, investigators seized 39 grams of cocaine, a sum of 1.6 million CFA francs, skunk (Indian hemp), a consumption kit for this drug, an electronic scale, a vehicle Buggy type, as well as a gun and ammunition.
While the two Fayes, arrested at the same time, were released after their hearing, Amadou Diam Ndoye remained in detention. He is being prosecuted for complicity with a company importing cocaine with the aim of circulating it and money laundering.
Alain Diatta and Ousmane Camara
These two individuals will face the same charges: criminal conspiracy, aiding or abetting a cocaine import business, and money laundering within an organized criminal group. They were arrested the same day in the apartment of Sylvain Mendy, in Ngor-Virage. During the search, in the presence of the owner of the premises, investigators seized administrative documents relating to property titles, a skunk consumption kit, invoices, a desktop computer, and double-bottomed suitcases, including the one contained 2.6 kg of cocaine.
