Senegal seizes 2 tons of cocaine off coast; arrests 5

Today astatine 9:46 a.m. EDT

Today astatine 9:46 a.m. EDT

DAKAR, Senegal — Senegal’s navy seized much than 2 tons of cocaine from a vessel transporting the amerciable substance disconnected the seashore of the West African nation.

Five unit members were arrested from the vas named La Rosa. The arrests Monday took spot disconnected the Senegalese seashore astir 363 kilometers (226 miles) from the capital, Dakar, the navy said successful a connection issued precocious Tuesday. It seized 2,026 kilograms of cocaine with the assistance of French aerial forces.

The seizure was carried retired by “the embarked peculiar unit oversea units,” according to different much elaborate connection released by the equipped forces. “The cognition was a occurrence acknowledgment to the aerial enactment of an Air Force maritime patrol craft and the French Falcon 50 craft stationed successful Dakar.”

For immoderate clip now, cause seizures person been connected the emergence successful West Africa.

There person precocious been a fewer seizures of drugs successful West African countries indicating that planetary traffickers person made the continent a hub. Africa is often utilized by cause smugglers arsenic an intermediary constituent betwixt South America and Europe.

The West African federation of Benin seized astir 2.5 tons of cocaine successful September and days agone announced it seized 10.5 kilograms of heroin.

Gambia’s Drug Law Enforcement Agency successful January said it had seized astir 3 tons of cocaine astatine its larboard successful a consignment that originated from Ecuador.