On the night of December 30 to 31, 2024, Dakar experienced a night worthy of the greatest thrillers. On the beaches of Rufisque and Petit-Mbao, the forces of the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (Ocrtis) carried out a perilous operation to dismantle a network of drug traffickers. As the daily newspaper L’Observateur revealed, this mission almost cost the lives of several police officers, confronted with armed criminals determined to do anything to escape justice.
Beaches transformed into war zones
For several weeks, the beaches of Rufisque and Petit-Mbao had been the scene of carefully orchestrated traffic. Under the protection of bikers and armored vehicles, cargoes of Indian hemp, coming straight from the Casamance islands, were unloaded in the middle of the night and transported to the districts of Dakar.
The local mafia, equipped like a militia, operated with complete impunity thanks to a meticulous security system. But on December 29, the arrest of Ibrahima Bangoura, alias Jérôme, marked a turning point. This arrest allowed Ocrtis to obtain crucial information to plan a decisive intervention.
A night under high tension
On December 30, Ocrtis police officers took up positions in the darkness of the beaches, determined to strike hard. At 3 a.m., two canoes docked silently, unloading bales of hemp under the protection of a motorized convoy. The traffickers, confident in their system, were unaware that the noose was tightening around them.
The police, stationed at strategic roadblocks, gave the order to intercept the first suspicious vehicle. But the criminals, far from obeying, responded with unexpected violence. A Mercedes drove into the roadblock, forcing officers to jump out of its way.
Chase and weapons drawn
This first assault triggered a breathtaking chase through the dark alleys of Dakar. According to the Observateu, a woman, later identified as “Naomi”, appeared in a second vehicle to distract the police. While driving, she made dangerous maneuvers, forcing the agents to slow down, allowing the traffickers’ convoy to get ahead.
A third vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe, escorted by armed bikers, attempted to force another roadblock. In the confusion, a motorcyclist, Abdou Aziz Ndiaye, alias Dabakh, lost control and crashed violently, fracturing his leg. During his search, the police discovered a sword hidden in his pants.
Another biker, nicknamed “Lonk”, took out a pistol to target the police. In a scene worthy of a movie, the police narrowly dodged the shots, while continuing the chase. But the determination of the traffickers did not weaken. Lonk eventually abandoned his vehicle to escape into the darkness, leaving some of the cargo behind.
The end of the run: Moussa Sarr and his network neutralized
The investigation led the police to a depot in Cambérène, where a young girl, Soda Bèye, was monitoring a massive shipment of drugs. In total, 277.5 kg of Indian hemp were seized. But Ocrtis did not stop there. Thanks to the cooperation of driver Gothe Dieng, the police identified the mastermind of the network: Moussa Sarr.
Unaware that his accomplices were already arrested, Moussa Sarr called Dieng for a meeting at his home. The latter, now under surveillance, allowed the police to organize a trap. Moussa Sarr was arrested immediately, in possession of 1,860,000 FCFA and compromising documents.
A victory, but at what cost?
This operation, described by the Observateu as a real coup, showed the determination of the police to dismantle drug networks, despite the extreme risks. Police officers confronted armed traffickers willing to sacrifice lives to protect their illicit trade.
If this victory strengthens the fight against drug trafficking in Dakar, it also reminds us of the growing dangerousness of these criminal networks, capable of transforming the streets of the capital into a war zone. As the Observateu concludes, this spectacular hunt marks a turning point in the fight against organized delinquency, but it also raises an essential question: how far are these drug lords ready to go?
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