SURGE IN MALIAN DRUG BUSTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAMAKO 001404 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR ETRD ECON ML SUBJECT: SURGE IN MALIAN DRUG BUSTS ¶1. SUMMARY: A large recent number of significant drug seizures despite no appreciable resource increase to the woefully underfunded and undermanned Anti-Drug Brigade points to a rapid increase in drug-trafficking through Mali. Many of the drug-traffickers detained were Nigerians traveling to Europe. The technical training and high-tech equipment that might aid authorities do not exist in Mali, forcing police to rely mostly on informants to identify traffickers. Cocaine is believed to originate in South America with a final destination of Europe, while marijuana is destined for local consumption. End Summary. ¶2. Malian Customs seized 35kg of cocaine, with a street value of over USD 2 million, at the Guinean border the morning of November 21, the largest seizure of cocaine ever in Mali. Implicated in the crime were Chini Julien Koffi, a Togolese, and Kennedy N'Didi, a Nigerian (passport and bio information at paragraph 5). When at the border crossing to fill out the necessary paperwork to allow them to travel to Bamako as tourists, Mr. Koffi told officials he was a professional driver, but indicated in the paperwork that he was actually a car painter. Officials were also suspicious that Mr. Koffi had crossed the border four other times since May 2007. Although Mr. Koffi declared he only had "personal items" in the car, a search revealed 35 small packets of cocaine in black plastic bags hidden throughout the vehicle. According to Mr. Koffi, each packet of cocaine had a resale value of around USD 60,000. Police also found 18 kg of marijuana, and a subsequent body search revealed 4,700 Euros and 1,123,500 Guinean Francs on Mr. Koffi. The two suspected drug traffickers are now in jail in southern Mali awaiting trial. Inspector Daba Coulibaly at the Anti-Drug Brigade noted that the seized cocaine has not yet been transported to Bamako for destruction, as there is no precedent for a seizure this large outside the capital city and current laws are unclear on the required time frame for drug disposals. ¶3. The November incident is just one of many drug seizures in the last several months: --On October 3, 948 kg of marijuana was seized outside of Koutiala, a town in southern Mali near the Burkinabe border. One of the suspected drug dealers was arrested while his accomplice was able to escape. A drug commission witnessed the destruction of the drugs on November 7. 
--Acting on a tip from an informant, the police apprehended two Nigerian drug-trafficking suspects with 1.3 metric tons of marijuana in a central market area of Bamako on December ¶4. The drugs were hidden among 10 sacks of tamarind plant leaves. --At the end of November, 48 kg of marijuana, again hidden in sacks of tamarind leaves, was seized on the train from Dakar to Bamako. --On December 6, police seized 1.2 kg of cocaine valued at USD 60,000 from Auguste Ejike Charles, a Nigerian traveling on the Malian airline CAM-Mali to Cotonou. Director of the Border Police, Djibril Diarra, reported that agents found the drugs during a routine control procedure when they noticed that Mr. Charles' shoes were abnormally heavy. Further investigation revealed small sacks of cocaine in the soles of his shoes. Charles said that the cocaine came from Guinea-Conakry and was destined for Lagos. Mr. Charles admitted that this was his second time to travel through Mali with drugs although the first time, he traveled by road from Guinea-Conakry. He added that his supplier is Vitus, a Sierra Leonean living in Guinea-Conakry who delivers the drugs to "Le Malador" hotel in Conakry. --On December 7, another Nigerian named Joel Christopher was apprehended with an unreported amount of cocaine at the Bamako airport. Christopher's flight was also on the CAM-Mali airline going to Amsterdam via Tripoli. The border agents conducted a urine test after they noted the Nigerian acting suspiciously. The test indicated that he had swallowed packets of the drug. Christopher was handed over to the Anti-Drug Brigade. (Note: Since the end of 2006, police have used urine tests with success to detect cocaine hidden in traffickers stomachs.) ¶4. COMMENT: The upswing in arrests cannot be attributed to any changes to the staffing, training, or technology available to local law enforcement, as the Anti-Drug Brigade remains woefully understaffed and without the necessary equipment to detect illegal substances. The increase in the amount of drug trafficked through in Mali is alarming given that number of people arrested is likely only a fraction of traffickers passing through the country, and Mali's border and narcotics control weaknesses may turn Bamako into a hub for cocaine shipments to Europe. END COMMENT BAMAKO 00001404 002 OF 002 ¶5. As reported in the local papers, details of the two apprehended suspects are as follows: Name: Chini Julien Koffi Togolese passport number 13359/03CP3D from 12/16/2003 Birthday: February 12, 1970 Place of birth: Kouve, Togo Parents: Chini Omedgrovi Gabriel and Azougou Massan Profession: car painter Domicile: Lome Kennedy N'Didi did not have an identification card but said that he was born April 15, 1967 in M'Gbo in Nigeria, son of Godwin and Elisabeth N'Didi Aka. He is a businessperson by profession and has been living in Bamako the last several years. McCulley