The document discusses drug trafficking through The Gambia. It notes that while The Gambia is primarily a transit point for drugs traveling from South America to Europe, its strategic location and weak law enforcement make it appealing to traffickers. Several case studies are presented, including the seizure of 3 tons of cocaine hidden in an industrial salt shipment in 2021. The document outlines the triangular nature of trafficking between South America, The Gambia as a transit point, and Europe as the destination market. It also reviews The Gambia's relevant legal frameworks around maritime security and drug control.

1. THE GAMBIA IS NOT A DRUG HUB BUT A
TRANSIT POINT

2. THEME :
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BY SEA, DRUG
TRAFFICKING AND IUU FISHING IN WEST AFRICA :
CURRENT SITUATION AND PROSPECT IN THE GAMBIA.
ORGANIZED BY SUPPORT TO WEST AFRICA INTEGRATED
MARITME SECURITY – SWAIMS IN BANJUL, THE GAMBIA,
ON THE 24TH OCTOBER, 2023 AT BAOBAB HOTEL BIJILO
TOPIC OF PRESENTATION
CASE STUDIES
BY MR. LAMIN JUWARA

3. OVERVIEW OF DRUG SITUATION IN THE GAMBIAN
MARITIME SECTOR
 Maritime cocaine trafficking in the Gambia could be traced
back to 2000s. At that time, the opening of global markets
saw traffickers start using West Africa as a transit point for
cocaine shipments from South America to Europe.
 It is important to note that organized criminal groups target
West African countries like The Gambia because of the
country’s strategic location as a transiting route for Class A
drugs like cocaine, heroin, hashish, and so on

4. CONT…
 In February 2023, over 800 kg of cocaine that had been
transferred from a larger ship in the open sea was confiscated
from a Gambian fishing boat in Senegalese waters
 In 2021, Gambian authorities seized almost three tons of the
drug, hidden in a shipment of industrial salt from Ecuador.
 The country's 200-kilometer coastline, as well as its low
resources to effectively control its marine domain, make it an
appealing site and convenient transit point for cocaine
trafficking. Transnational organized crime groups have also
taken advantage of law enforcement's weak capacity.

5. NUMBER OF CASES AND PERSONS ARRESTED
2019, 2020 & 2021
 For 2019, the total number of cases registered were 613 cases
involving 610 accused person. 187 trafficking cases and 426
possession cases.
 In 2020 total umber of cases amount to 677 involving 691
accused persons. 205 trafficking cases 472 possession cases.
 In 2021 the agency registered 784 cases involving 779 accuse
persons 180 are trafficking cases and possession are 604.
 From 2019 to 2021 the Agency has successfully registered 2074
drug cases involving 2080 accused person of different
Nationalities
 It is imperative to note that cases emanating from maritime
sector constituted less than 3% of the total cases recorded
between 2019 to 2021

6. NATURE OF MARITIME DRUG TRAFFICKING IN
THE GAMBIA
 Similar to most West Africa, The Gambia continues to used
as transit point for South America being smuggled to Europe
via Air or Sea.
 Generally speaking, the problem is triangle in nature that is
• South America Source Countries for Drugs
(Production)
• The Gambia Transit Point (Basic Commodities
Sugar &Rice)
• Europe Destination ( Markets)

7. CASE STUDY ONE: 3tons Cocaine
 This case was registered on the January 2021 one hundred
and eighteen (118) bags of cocaine were seized from a
container at the seaport in Banjul.
 The bags were labeled “SAL INDUSTRIAL” and found in
container which was part of a consignment of industrial salt
imported from Ecuador, South America.

8. CONT….
 The shipment of this consignment of drugs was organized by Mr
Banta Keita also known as Lassana kante.
 He is linked to three companies registered in the Gambia, acting
as a Shadow Director in two and a minority shareholder in one.
• Circuit Long Trading (CLT) Ltd
• Banjul Circuit Trading Ltd
• La Petite Parisienne By DK Beauty Ltd.
 Mr. Keita is also traced to have links with six (6) Bank accounts
operating with Ecobank and Zenith Bank.

9. BANK IRREGULARITIES
 Bank officials were involved (negligently) in giving a false
declaration to facilitate the opening of accounts for Banta’s
affiliate companies. Bank officials who encountered him during
the account opening processes deliberately disregarded all laid
down rules and ethical standards causing a huge cost to the
banking system.
 The names of the signatories did not appear on the account
opening documents and in others the accounts were opened
without the signatories being present.
 The so-called signatories did not even know about the existence
of the account.

10. MODUS OPERANDI
 He travels most frequently on unknown business transactions
and disguise his movements by using multiple travel documents
and identities.
 Created a front Company involved import and export
 Use third parties to created a company
 Use another third to received his consignment from the Seaport
 Possess a personal Go Fast Motorboat
 Use similar routine that is often used by criminal networks
(Ecuador to Banjul)
 Use container concealment

11. CASE STUDY TWO: Loms 52 Case
 Joined Investigation between The Gambia and Senegal in 2019 .
 The method of smuggling implore exchange with boats in the
high seas.
 The organizer of the a Dutch who is involved in an organized
crime network.
 Players in the trafficking involved nationalities from Moroccan,
Belgium, Suriname, Senegal, France and United Kingdom.
 Three boats where involved in the trafficking

13. CASE STUDY THREE: 502 Blocks of Hashish Case
 The seizure was made in December 2022 inside a property in
Yundum.
 Nationalities involved in the case are Gambians and Mauritanian
. The organizer is known as Mohamed Abdallah.
 His Gambian partners were involved in selling of Cars
 The team use trucks at night to pick drugs along the “bolongs”
of river Gambia from small boats
 They then kept the hashish in a property of one of the
counterparts.
 After an undercover operation the drugs where detected and
seized.

15. SOME RELEVANT LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR
MARITIME SECURITY
 Drug Control Act of 2003
 Gambia Maritime Administration of 2006
 Merchant Shipping Act 2013
 The Gambia Port Authority Act of 1991
 The Gambia Navy Act of 1996
 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
 Africa Charter on Maritime Security and Safety and Development
in Africa (Lome Charter)
 The International Convention for Safety of Life at Life (SOLAS)
 Yaoundé Code of Conduct etc

16. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR KIND
ATTENTION!!!
ANY
QUESTIONS?

17. NARCOTIC CONTROL OFFICER I LAMIN JUWARA
DEPUTY HEAD OF TEAM NATIONAL NARCOTIC
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS CENTER (NIAC)
DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, THE GAMBIA
(DLEAG)
WHATSAPP: +220 3118782
TELEPHONE: +220 2025781
EMAIL: lillaminjuwara@gmail.com / ljuwara@dleag-
gambia.org