Massive Drug Seizures in Interpol Operations across Africa and Middle East in Coordination with 41 Countries, Including Morocco
The results of these operations, codenamed Lionfish, provide a snapshot of the international underworld of drug trafficking, with criminals constantly seeking new routes and ways to smuggle narcotics across borders, the source pointed out in a release.
The Lionfish operations, which took place in March and April, saw police and customs officials coordinate enforcement actions at borders and other hotspots during a specific two-week period, first on the African continent and then in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
“The striking results of these two operations demonstrate the sheer scale of the trade in illicit drugs and its international nature,” said Jürgen Stock, Secretary General of INTERPOL.
“Drug trafficking is a threat that we collectively face and the massive seizures achieved in Operation Lionfish show what is possible when law enforcement fights back together,” he added.
The results of the operations included 17 tonnes of cannabis resin, valued at EUR 31 million, confiscated from warehouses in Niamey, Niger – the largest seizure in the country’s history. Shipped from Lebanon to the Togolese port of Lomé and then transported over 1,000 kilometers by lorry, the drugs were destined for Libya.
Meanwhile, the South Africa Police Service seized 973 cocaine bricks, worth an estimated EUR 32 million, from a fishing vessel off the country’s Western coast, arresting 10 individuals.
In addition to the above results, the two Lionfish operations recovered 200 kilos of amphetamines, 56 kilos of heroin, 30 kilos of methamphetamines, 21 kilos of cocaine powder and 169 pieces of crack cocaine, 214 ecstasy tablets, more than 4.5 million tramadol tablets, 720 kilos of cannabis and 10,000 steroids.
Other types of contraband were also seized during the operations, including live pangolins, uncut diamonds, illicit cigarettes and vehicles.
In addition to Morocco, these operations were coordinated with Angola, Bahrain, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Operation Lionfish was conducted under the umbrella of INTERPOL’s Project AMEAP (Africa-Middle East-Asia Pacific).
