Senegalese authorities have struck a significant blow against international drug trafficking with the seizure of 643 kilograms of cocaine in Rufisque, near Dakar.
The operation, carried out on Monday, August 4, 2025, was the result of a coordinated effort between the Sangalkam Territorial Gendarmerie Brigade and the Dakar-Exterior Customs Subdivision.
The seizure marks one of the country’s largest in recent years and underscores the growing efficiency of Senegal’s law enforcement agencies in tackling transnational crime.
Acting on intelligence pointing to advanced trafficking activity in the Noflaye district, officers launched a dawn operation and intercepted a suspicious vehicle.
According to officials, three individuals were caught in the act of transferring cargo into two vans.
Two suspects managed to flee, while one was apprehended at the scene. A search of the vehicle revealed 643 tightly sealed packages of cocaine, each weighing one kilogram, concealed inside jute bags. Laboratory tests by the Drug Enforcement Agency (GLAD) confirmed the contents.
This operation builds on a string of successful drug interdictions.
On November 24, 2024, Senegalese Customs seized 235 kilograms of cocaine in Koungheul, Kaffrine region.
That shipment had been expertly hidden between a vehicle’s chassis and loading bed and was later valued at 18.8 billion CFA francs after being confirmed by the National Laboratory of Scientific Police.
In a broader context, Customs units operating along the Dakar-Kidira corridor intercepted 2,114 kilograms of cocaine between March and November 2024, with an estimated total value of 169 billion CFA francs.
Senegal’s Customs Administration and National Gendarmerie have pledged to deepen their collaboration to combat organized crime networks. They also urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate by providing intelligence and supporting field operations that safeguard national and regional security.
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