SOCA helps secure record West African cocaine haul

09 June 2010

SOCA has provided expertise and forensic support to the Gambian National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) which has resulted in the seizure of 2,100 kilos of cocaine. The seizure – a record for West Africa - would be worth more than £100m at UK wholesale prices. The potential street value would be many times higher depending on how much the criminals diluted the cocaine with ‘cutting agents’.

SOCA officers were called in to assist with the forensic examination of a number of locations which had been identified by the Gambian NDEA as suspected drugs warehouses because of suspicious activity in rural areas.
 
In May 2010, the NDEA recovered three kilos of cocaine and arrested 12 suspects. The suspects included the Dutch owner and Venezuelan employees of a Gambian based fishing company which had a number of premises including exclusive use of a small island where they made use of a dilapidated hotel and set up communications and transport systems.

Working with the Gambian NDEA, SOCA conducted forensic examinations of various locations, electronic equipment and took samples of drugs recovered during earlier searches. SOCA officers helped recover more than €210,000 in €500 notes and a number of loaded firearms. They also located a previously undiscovered underground bunker concealed behind a false wall in a warehouse used by the fishing company in the Bonto area. When the bunker was investigated on the evening of 4th June 2010, 85 sacks were discovered containing a total of 2,100 kilos of cocaine ‘bricks’ as well as around 60 empty sacks, indicating that the bunker has been used as a distribution centre.

Neil Giles, Deputy Director for SOCA, commented:
 
 “It has long been feared that cocaine traffickers might seek to exploit the Gambia and other countries in the region as a warehousing locations for drugs en route from South America to Europe. This seizure is highly significant in that it clearly demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement in Gambia to tackle the traffickers head on. SOCA are pleased to be able to assist this excellent work and are working to increase the law enforcement capacity across the region.
"It is highly likely a large proportion of these drugs would have found their way onto the streets of Europe and the UK. Taking this cocaine, and the profits that it would have generated, out of the hands of criminals is a major blow to their operations.”