Decisive action taken against drugs
The fight against drugs in West Africa has been welcomed as a milestone by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
The fight against drugs in West Africa has been welcomed as a milestone by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
Decisive action was taken at the end of August by Cape Verde authorities which marked the latest move in a growing response by West African countries to the threat of drug traffickers seeking to exploit the region.
A Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDet) joined forces with the Royal Navys HMS Gloucester and recovered around 30 kilos of cocaine which had been concealed inside the rudder of the yacht Tortuga.
The suspect vessel was boarded in the early hours of August 27 in the mid-Atlantic and taken to Cape Verde where a detailed search was carried out.
Neil Giles, Deputy Director of SOCA, said: Over recent years we have seen West Africa become an important transit point in the supply of cocaine from South America to Europe, and this is anticipated to grow.
SOCA is providing support to law enforcement in West Africa to combat the threat, but the long term aim is that the authorities there build their own capability and take a committed stand against the traffickers.