[ 2012-08-14 ]

ECOWAS - INTERPOL Operation Leads To Arrest of 74 Drug traffickers
Law enforcement agencies responsible for drug
investigations in three ECOWAS countries have
completed a week-long capacity building
training-cum-operational activities in Benin, Togo
and Ghana.

During the operation, about 74 drug traffickers
were arrested while 7,894,275 kilogrammes of
assorted narcotic drugs were seized.

A statement issued by the Department of
Communication, ECOWAS Commission and copied to
Ghana News Agency said, the combined events
between July 23-29, involved three days training
in Lomé, Togo, followed by three days of
operations from July 26-28 in Togo, Benin and
Ghana, and a day’s debriefing of the
investigators.

The exercise was funded by ECOWAS, with INTERPOL’s
trainers and ECOWAS representatives participating
as observers.

The operation, code-named “ATAKORA”, was launched
with particular focus on drug trafficking at
airports, sea ports and land borders in the three
countries by engaging 36 investigators and law
enforcement agencies in the countries involved.

The breakdown of the seizures was 376,675
kilogrammes in Benin, 24 kilogrammes in Ghana and
7,493,600 kilogrammes in Togo.

The statement said the operation was carried out
within the framework of the ECOWAS Regional Action
Plan on Drugs and INTERPOL’s action in support of
member countries from the African Region.

It was aimed at detecting and dismantling criminal
organised networks using West Africa to traffic
cocaine, heroin, cannabis and psychotropic
substances.

Source - GNA

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