As part of an operation to intercept a ship suspected of drug trafficking, 5 marine commandos have been missing since Friday. The information was given by Dirpa, which indicates that the search to find them is underway.

“Five (5) marine commandos have been missing since Friday January 5, 2024 at 8p.m.” The information was given on Saturday by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces (Dirpa). In a press release, it specifies that “this event follows the interception, by the high seas patrol vessel Walo, of a vessel suspected of international drug trafficking off the coast of Dakar”. Continuing its explanations, the Dirpa underlined: “During the search, the intervention team of marine commandos on board noticed the valves of the ship opening.” According to the Army communications service, “everything suggests that this sabotage action consisting of sinking the ship was aimed at erasing all evidence of its illicit cargo.” In addition, the press release indicated that “the rescue services led by the Walo made it possible to recover seven (7) elements of the intervention team and the (10) members of the boat in question”. But, they regret, “five marine commandos have not yet been found”. Dirpa, however, assured that “the search is underway”.

Il faut rappeler que les interceptions de navires remplis de drogue dans les eaux sénégalaises se sont multipliées ces derniers mois. Le 14 décembre dernier, le patrouilleur Walo de la Marine nationale a arraisonné à 425 km au large, au sud des eaux sénégalaises, un navire transportant 3 tonnes de cocaïne. C’est une valeur minimale de 126 milliards de francs Cfa.

It should be remembered that interceptions of ships loaded with drugs in Senegalese waters have increased in recent months. On December 14, the French Navy patrol boat Walo boarded a ship carrying 3 tons of cocaine 425 km offshore, south of Senegalese waters. This is a minimum value of 126 billion CFA francs.

A month before, the patrol boat Le Fouladou had boarded a ship also containing 3 tons of cocaine. It was on the night of November 26 to 27, 2023, 150 km south of Dakar. It took the mobilization of the various structures involved in the suppression of narcotics, for more than three hours, to proceed to count the product. In recent years, drug seizures on the high seas have become frequent. In January last year, more than 800 kg of cocaine were seized from a ship 335 km off the coast of Dakar by the Senegalese Navy. On October 17, 2021, the Senegalese National Navy successfully carried out an interception operation, 196 nautical miles (363 km) from Dakar, of a ship called La Rosa, thanks to the launches Lac Retba and Cachouane, we had discovered there at least 2026 kg of cocaine. On June 27 of the same year, she also intercepted a ship with a large quantity of hashish, 8,333 tons. 21 days before, that is to say on June 6, eight tons of hashish were seized off the coast of Dakar.

In January 2020, Senegalese Customs discovered 120 kg of cocaine, worth 9.6 billion, in the ventilation system of Grande Nigeria, immobilized at the Port of Dakar. Over six months after the seizure of more than 700 kg in the same vessel.

It should be remembered that on June 26, 2019, a ton of cocaine was hidden in Renault Kwids that had arrived forty-eight hours earlier aboard the Grande Africa, a “Ro-Ro” from the Italian company Grimaldi that left from Paranagua, Southern Brazil.

By Dieynaba KANE / dkane@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH