Senegalese customs authorities have seized 970.6 kilograms of cocaine during an operation carried out by the Koumpentoum Mobile Customs Brigade on the Koumpentoum-Koungheul road near Ida Mouride.
According to the customs administration, officers discovered 844 slabs of cocaine hidden in a specially constructed compartment inside a truck arriving from a neighbouring country.
The vehicle had been loaded with a large quantity of madd fruit in an apparent attempt to conceal the illicit cargo, but customs agents intercepted the truck and uncovered the hidden shipment.
Laboratory tests later confirmed the substance was pure cocaine, with the haul estimated to be worth more than 58.2 billion CFA francs.
Authorities have launched an investigation to identify those behind the trafficking network and trace the origin and destination of the drugs.
The seizure comes weeks after the Director General of Customs, Babacar Mbaye, called for stronger action against transnational organised crime and announced plans to increase personnel and operational resources in the country’s southeastern customs region.
Senegalese customs officials say the operation underscores their commitment to combating drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime.
