The amount was seized from two Mauritanians whose Senegalese accomplices are still believed to be wanted. They were trying to get the money out of Senegal. The alleged traffickers have been handed over to the Rosso gendarmerie, pending their deferral. The customs officers have again managed a big operation.The « soldiers of the economy » indeed had the flair last Monday in Rosso.They intercepted two Mauritanian nationals who were seeking to smuggle more than one billion CFA francs into foreign currency.The amounts seized from the two individuals were composed of 1 million 600 thousand euros (more than one billion 100 million CFA) and 200 thousand dollars (about 120 million CFA).Only yesterday, the alleged traffickers were in the premises of the Rosso gendarmerie, awaiting their presentation before the public prosecutor in Saint-Louis, the regional capital.Customs officers are still looking for the Senegalese accomplices who enabled them to collect such a large amount and try to pass it through the nose and beard of the Senegalese customs.Senegalese investigators are even more motivated by the conviction that the two Mauritanians are in fact only « smugglers » and that the money actually belongs to Senegalese personalities, who are yet to be identified.Once these sponsors are known, the authorities can identify where these amounts come from, and what they were really intended for.In any event, it would seem that in some quarters there is no desire for this matter to be made public.While usually, for cases involving much smaller amounts, the Customs services are quick to communicate, this so far has been treated with discretion which is least unusual.Asked about the reasons for this silence and the treatment of this dossier, the deputy head of Communication and Public Relations and Information Division of Senegalese Customs, Mr.Mamadou Samba Mbow, replied to the Le Quotidien newspaper: « The procedure in such cases is that you write a letter addressed to the Director General of Customs, stating the reasons for your request.And it is the Director-General who will refer the matter to the department concerned. »Knowing that similar steps have been unsuccessful in the past, it was barely a polite way to make us understand that we could… maybe go do something else.Other people, well aware of certain customs practices, wondered, with the editorial team, if the ultimate goal would not be to cover up the case and thus avoid a scandal that would not suit some.The days ahead will edify us. By Mouhamed GUEYE / mgueye@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH