December blits nails African drug-traffickers

In an operation designed to strengthen anti-drug trafficking measures at 22 international airports, the World Customs Organisation in December launched a pilot operation in 15 West and Central African countries. Code-named Operation COCAIR, the project was intended to intercept Europebound consignments of cocaine and other drugs. Over the course of seven consecutive days, Customs services from the various countries involved in the operation put the training they were given into practice: product recognition, risk analysis, selection, as well as information and intelligence sharing. Results were not long in coming, and over the first few days some ten or so drugs seizures were made on passengers as well as in corpore, on the body or concealed in suitcases. These early cases were followed up by the interception of capital, arms and ammunition and the discovery of works of art being exported illegally from Mali. Although the full set of results is yet to be processed due to the number of participating countries, initial indications are extremely promising, according to the WCO. A press conference will be held in Dakar (Senegal) this month to present the final results of the operation and to outline the regional strategy that will be implemented to combat this scourge more effectively.