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The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has announced the success of Operation Harmattan, a coordinated security operation across seven West African countries targeting synthetic drug trafficking through postal shipments and air cargo.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, Interpol said the operation, carried out under the AIRCOP project, resulted in multiple seizures and arrests across The Gambia, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Mali, and Togo.
According to the statement, 13 arrests were made during the anti-drug operation, with authorities confiscating fentanyl, tramadol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, and cash.
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According to Sahara Reporters, the agency described Operation Harmattan as the first of its kind in West Africa, emphasising that it has strengthened regional cooperation and intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies.
Interpol credited the success of the operation to the AIRCOP Task Force officers, whose coordinated efforts have set a new benchmark in the region’s fight against transnational organised crime and terrorism.
In a related development, Interpol disclosed that another major African operation targeting terrorism financing led to 83 arrests, marking a significant breakthrough in efforts to cut off financial networks supporting extremist groups on the continent.
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The operation led to 83 arrests across six African countries and the identification of 160 persons of interest.
Of the 83 arrests, 21 were for terrorism-related crimes, 28 were for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 were linked to cyber-enabled scams and a further 18 were related to the illicit use of virtual assets.
Over the two-month operation, jointly coordinated by Interpol and Afripol, authorities across participating countries screened more than 15,000 persons of interest and entities, uncovering around US$260 million in both fiat and virtual currencies potentially linked to terrorism-related activities.
“Approximately US$600,000 has already been seized, with additional investigations underway to trace and recover further assets,” the agency added.
