IN a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Guinea-Bissau authorities have seized 2.63 tons of cocaine aboard an aircraft arriving from Venezuela. The haul was discovered during a raid at Bissau’s Osvaldo Vieira International Airport on Saturday afternoon. Police recovered 78 bales of the illegal substance hidden on the Gulfstream IV aircraft.
The plane’s five-member crew, including two Mexican nationals alongside individuals from Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, were arrested on the scene. The group was set to appear in a regional court for interrogation on Monday, according to a statement from the judicial police.
The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Landing,’ was conducted in collaboration with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics. This is one of the largest cocaine busts in recent years in West Africa, a region frequently exploited by drug cartels as a transit hub for smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe.
Cocaine, a widely abused drug with over 23 million users globally, continues to pose a serious threat. The seizure is part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the drug trade in the region.
Guinea-Bissau, long notorious for being a transit point for narcotics, is stepping up its fight against drug trafficking with help from international partners.
This raid represents a major step in the fight against international drug trafficking in West Africa.
