Eight individuals were brought before the Financial Prosecutor of the Financial Judicial Pool at the High Court of Dakar, following the interception of a pirogue carrying 176 migrants attempting irregular emigration by the Senegalese Navy.

On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the Senegalese Navy handed over one hundred and seventy-six (176) migrants to the National Division for Combating Migrant Smuggling (DNLT), including eighty-three (83) Senegalese, eighty-six (86) Gambians, and seven (7) Bissau-Guineans. Among them were eighteen (18) women and nine (9) minors, according to Seneweb sources.

The investigation: migrants identify crew members

Taken to the DNLT headquarters for the purposes of the investigation, the migrants identified the following individuals as O. Guèye, A. Gaye, O. Dramé, M. Ndong, I. Ndong, S. Séne, M. Sarr and A. Diadhiou alias A. Ndiaye as being among the crew members.

The testimonies reveal the identity of the organizers.

When questioned as witnesses, Messrs. M. Thiang and I. Diouf stated that the organizers of this trip were named I. Diouf, P. Sané alias P. Diaw and Ousmane without further details (wanted).

They added that at the time of boarding, I. Diouf arrived at the departure point of the pirogue, accompanied by members of the crew including O. Guèye who held the GPS and gave the heading to the drivers, A. Gaye, O. Dramé and M. Ndong.

The suspects partially admit to the acts.

When questioned, the individuals named O. Dramé, M. Ndong, I. Ndong, S. Sène, M. Sarr and A. Diadhiou alias A. Ndiaye all partially admitted to the acts of which they are accused.

Regarding their respective roles during the trip, they acknowledged having participated in steering the pirogue, with the exception of O. Dramé, who stated that he did not steer the vessel. When asked to identify the organizers, they unanimously named I. Diouf and "Father Laye" without providing further details.

The captains confess: 200,000 FCFA promised to each of them

Also, O. Guèye and A. Gaye, designated as the captains of this vessel, acknowledged having been informed of the voyage by the man named "Father Laye" who asked them to help him by supervising the voyage to the destination.

They accepted this in exchange for two hundred thousand (200,000) FCFA each, paid by a man known as "Father Laye". They acknowledged their responsibility in guiding the pirogue to its destination, before the National Navy put an end to this perilous journey.

Organizers actively sought

The search for the individuals named "Father Laye", I. Diouf and P. Sané alias P. Diaw, cited as the organizers of this trafficking, remained fruitless until the closure of operations.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the individuals named O. Guèye, A. Gaye, O. Dramé, M. Ndong, I. Ndong, S. Sène, M. Sarr and A. Diadhiou alias A. Ndiaye were brought before the Financial Prosecutor of the Financial Judicial Pool at the High Court of Dakar, for association of criminals, attempted trafficking of migrants by sea, endangering the lives of others and complicity.