The Saly research brigade, with crucial support from the Fimela territorial brigade, has dismantled a drug trafficking network operating by sea between Casamance and the Mbour region. The main suspect, a 42-year-old pirogue operator residing in Joal, was arrested in the middle of the night and brought before the Mbour prosecutor's office, according to Seneweb sources.

The case began on February 15, 2026, when actionable intelligence reached the Saly Research Brigade (BR), part of the Mbour Gendarmerie Company. The alert was clear: a shipment of cannabis was planned to land on Joal beach. The gendarmes, determined to catch the traffickers in the act, set up a surveillance and tracking operation.

Against all expectations, the unloading took place in the absence of the gendarmes. The traffickers, acting quickly, loaded their cargo onto carts and headed for an unknown destination. A chase ensued, at the end of which the drivers, cornered, abandoned their cargo deep in the forest before fleeing.

Given the vastness of the search area, the Fimela territorial brigade was called in. After several hours of meticulous searching, its officers located and seized seven packages of cannabis, each weighing 30 kg, for a total of 210 kg. All the drugs were handed over to the Saly brigade for further investigation.

At 2 a.m., the canoeist falls

Based on this information, investigators from the Saly Criminal Investigation Brigade methodically traced the supply chain until they identified the maritime transporter of the cargo on the night of February 15-16, 2026, around 2:00 AM. His name is A. Thiaré, a 42-year-old pirogue operator. He is believed to have transported the drugs from Casamance to the waters off Joal, where they were unloaded clandestinely.

Placed in police custody on February 16, 2026, A. Thiaré has not yet revealed the full extent of his involvement. However, a search of his home in Joal uncovered an additional 2 kg of cannabis, a pistol, and ammunition, all possessed without any administrative authorization.

At the conclusion of the investigation, A. Thiaré was brought before the public prosecutor at the Mbour High Court on Thursday. He will face charges of criminal conspiracy, international trafficking of Indian hemp, and possession of a category A firearm without administrative authorization.

His accomplices, who are on the run, are being actively sought.