ADF STAFF
A string of drug seizures by the Senegalese Navy demonstrates the uptick in trafficking in West Africa and the determination of security forces to shut down the routes.
In late December 2023, the Senegalese Navy seized 690 kilograms of cocaine being transported to Europe in an ultra-fast boat and arrested five Spanish nationals on board. This took place after two seizures, each of about 3 metric tons, in busts on November 28 and December 16, 2023.
“In recent years drug seizures on the high seas have become more frequent,” wrote the Senegalese newspaper Le Quotidien. “This latest operation, undertaken by the National Navy in the fight against drug trafficking shows it has become better equipped with the acquisition of modern patrol boats.”
Senegal acquired two of an expected three offshore patrol vessels delivered by the French shipbuilder Pirou. The first vessel, which arrived in July 2023, already has intercepted dozens of vessels trafficking narcotics, according to a report by defenceWeb.
Long considered a transit zone for drugs, West and Central Africa have become regions where consumption and addiction are more common, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Seizures in the region dropped to negligible amounts in 2018 before rising sharply in 2019 and subsequent years. Between 2019 and 2023, officials seized 80 metric tons of cocaine in West Africa.
The UNODC estimates that 30 to 40 metric tons of cocaine and heroin move through West Africa each year with a street value of $1.25 billion.
“Drug traffickers and organized criminal groups are taking advantage of the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel to explore new routes and markets,” said Dr. Amado Philip de Andrés, UNODC regional representative for West and Central Africa. “This traffic affects the health of millions of people in the region and fuels conflicts by financing Sahelian armed groups.”
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