SOCA welcomes ‘milestone’ in West Africa’s fight against drugs
03 September 2010
Decisive intervention last week by the authorities in Cape Verde marks the latest move in a growing response by West African countries to the threat of drug traffickers seeking to exploit the region.
In the first operation of its kind for Cape Verde, a Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDet) joined forces with the Royal Navy’s HMS Gloucester and recovered around 30 kilos of cocaine which had been concealed inside the rudder of the yacht ‘Tortuga’. The suspect vessel was boarded in the early hours of Friday 27th August in the mid-Atlantic and taken to Cape Verde where a detailed search of it is continuing.
Neil Giles, Deputy Director of SOCA, commenting on the significance of the operation said: “Over recent years we have seen West Africa become an important transit point in the supply of cocaine from South America to Europe, and this is anticipated to grow. SOCA is providing support to law enforcement in West Africa to combat the threat but the long term aim is that the authorities there build their own capability and take a committed stand against the traffickers. The support provided by Cape Verde last week is further welcome evidence that the capability and commitment is growing. It marks a milestone in the fight against drug trafficking through West Africa.”
The operation was coordinated by MAOC(N), the Maritime Analysis & Operations Centre (Narcotics), acting on intelligence from a French Central Office against Illegal Narcotics Trafficking (OCRTIS) investigation. It represents the culmination of a significant period of work by SOCA, MAOC(N) and the Royal Navy to develop the capacity of Cape Verde counter-narcotics operations. It is also the first time a Royal Navy ship has provided the platform for such an operation since MAOC(N) was established in 2007.
HMS Gloucester’s Commanding Officer, Commander David George, said: “HMS Gloucester provided the ideal launching pad for the Cape Verde law enforcement team to intercept these drugs. Thanks to close co-operation between the Cape Verde authorities, international counter-narcotics agencies and the Royal Navy, millions of pounds’ worth of cocaine has been stopped from reaching our streets.”
Conor Shields, a SOCA officer seconded to MAOC (N) as Head of the Joint Operations Coordination Centre, said: “MAOC (N) is extremely grateful for the continued support of the Royal Navy and pleased at the result of the capacity building efforts. The professionalism of the Cape Verde authorities was paramount in discovering the purpose built concealment. This is a perfect example of operational success underlined by the scale of multinational and multi agency cooperation.”
SOCA capacity building in West Africa has delivered a number of high profile drug seizures. In June this year, officers visited Gambia to support an operation which uncovered around two tonnes of cocaine concealed in a hidden bunker. Work in Sierra Leone was also instrumental in the seizure in July 2008 of around 600 kilos of cocaine on a light aircraft from Venezuela. After the intervention, light aircraft flights from South American into West Africa ceased completely for around six months.