A nighttime operation by the Senegalese border police has seized a large convoy of smuggled explosives at the border with Mali.
The bust highlights the risks associated with illegal gold mining in the area.
Officers from the Diyabougou branch of the Border Police, under the jurisdiction of the Kidira Special Police Station, seized 660 sticks of explosives and 1,000 meters of detonating cord during
the night of May 16-17, in a targeted operation against cross-border explosive trafficking, APA has learned.
The operation, launched at 3:30 a.m. at the “GMI Elements Post,” resulted in the interception of two bags, each containing ten packets of 33 explosive sticks, as well as four 250-metre rolls of detonating cord, according to a police statement released Monday.
The driver, a foreign national, was using an unofficial bypass route usually frequented by pedestrians and motorcyclists. Alerted by the police presence, the suspect fled, abandoning his blue “Vainqueur” brand motorcycle, his shoes, and the illicit cargo, before crossing into Malian territory by crossing a branch of the river.
Initial investigations indicate that the seized equipment was destined for the village of Diyabougou, where it was intended for blasting the subsoil as part of illegal gold mining activities.
The motorcycle and the prohibited goods were impounded at the police station for the purposes of the investigation. A search is underway to apprehend the suspect.
AC/fss/as/APA