Pape Mamadou Kane, a blind man aged 28, was arrested by the Unit 15 Parcelles Assainies police station (Dakar) before being referred to the Dakar public prosecutor’s office for “criminal association, fraud, forgery and use fake.” He is accused of having organized a vast scam network around an alleged travel plan to Switzerland, causing at least 179 victims in several locations in Senegal.
The alleged scammer claimed to have obtained work contracts from a fictitious company called “Dada Drilling and Construction” (DDC). To join this project, each candidate had to submit their passport, pay one million CFA francs for travel expenses, as well as 100,000 CFA francs for application fees.
According to Libération, it was the complaint of a certain A. Mbaye which made it possible to dismantle the network. The latter had given Pape Mamadou Kane his passport, those of 13 relatives, as well as a total sum of 1.5 million CFA francs. The departure date was set for November 29, 2024, but the suspect had disappeared before this deadline.
Other victims, like C. Guèye, suffered even greater losses, having given him 22 passports and two million CFA francs. For his part, A. Hann had given two passports and the sum of 450,000 CFA francs. A Koranic master domiciled in Sangalkam, Aliou Ka, transmitted 22 passports and the sum of 1.050 million CFA francs, while A. Mendy handed over three passports and 500,000 CFA francs.
In the Noto Gouy Diama region, C. Dème recruited 123 candidates in his village, bringing together their passports as well as a sum of 14 million CFA francs. In Maka Dieng, in the Tivaouane department, I. Hann played a similar role, collecting 43 passports and 12.9 million CFA francs.
The investigation revealed the scale of the scam. 179 passports were discovered at the home of Pape Mamadou Kane in Cambérène (Dakar). The authorities are continuing investigations to identify other potential victims and establish all responsibilities in this case.
