The West African Sahel is becoming a drug smuggling corridor, UN warns, as seizures skyrocket

By DALATOU MAMANE and JACK THOMPSON
Associated Press

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A UN report says drug seizures have soared in the West African Sahel region in recent years, indicating the conflict-ridden region is becoming an influential hotspot for trafficking. In 2022, 1,466 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger compared to an average of 13 kilograms in the years between 2013 and 2020. The report says cocaine is the most commonly seized drug in the Sahel after cannabis resin. The analysis comes as Senegal announced Sunday a record-breaking cocaine seizure of 1,137 kilos – the most ever intercepted on land and worth $146 million – near an artisanal mine in the east of the country.