Police in Niger Republic had seized a record 214 kilogrammes of cocaine in the country’s northern desert and arrested a local mayor and his driver as they allegedly tried to drive to Libya with the haul.
The drug, as well as the two suspects and their vehicle, were brought
before the press in Niamey by the Sahel nation’s drug agency.
The agency’s spokeswoman, Nana Aichatou Ousmane Bako said the
alleged smugglers were apprehended in a municipal car from Fachi,
whose mayor was also aboard.
She said the car was heading to Dirkou, which lies close to the border
with Libya, adding that the drugs’ final destination was Europe, where it
had an estimated street value of more than 19 million dollars.
Drug seizures have become frequent in Niger’s north, which has gained
a reputation for multiple types of trafficking, including gun-running and
migrant smuggling.
