Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have seized 2.63 tonnes of cocaine from a plane at the capital’s international airport. The aircraft, which had arrived from Venezuela, was found carrying at least 78 bales of cocaine, marking the largest drug seizure in the country’s history, according to local reports.
Guinea-Bissau, a known key transit point in global drug trafficking, has earned the designation of a “narco-state” from the UN. The plane involved was registered in Mexico. All five crew members, including the pilot, have been detained. The individuals in custody include two Mexicans, one Colombian, one Ecuadorian, and one Brazilian. They were scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The seizure, dubbed “Operation Landing,” was conducted in close collaboration with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre–Narcotics, a European organization. Local reports indicate that police are working to dismantle the entire trafficking network involved in this incident.
Guinea-Bissau has struggled for years with being used as a conduit for narcotics destined for Europe. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has endured nine coups, resulting in weak state institutions that some believe have made it an attractive location for drug traffickers.
Earlier in 2024, the son of Guinea-Bissau’s former president was sentenced to over six years in a US court for leading an international heroin trafficking ring.
