Guinea-Bissau’s Judicial Police has arrested a 34-year-old Guinean national suspected of international drug trafficking after authorities seized more than one kilogram of cocaine at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Bissau. According to the police, the suspect was arrested by the airport’s Control Unit upon the arrival of a TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon. Investigators discovered 1,021.72 grams of cocaine hidden inside ten compartments of a centrifuge machine carried in the suspect’s luggage, allegedly in an attempt to bypass airport security controls.
The suspect remains in custody and is expected to appear before judicial authorities for questioning and possible legal measures. The Judicial Police warned of a resurgence in drug trafficking cases along the Portugal–Guinea-Bissau air route, with criminal networks increasingly using travelers and seemingly ordinary packages to transport narcotics. Authorities urged passengers not to carry luggage or items entrusted by third parties, stressing that many travelers claim ignorance of the contents of packages later found to contain cocaine. The police reaffirmed their commitment to combating international drug trafficking, which they described as a serious threat to public security and national stability.
