Bénin: major drug haul incinerated in Ouidah, signaling strong anti-narcotics resolve

Among the illicit products reduced to ashes were a staggering 95 kilograms of cocaine, which had been intercepted just a month prior at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou. This crucial operation, carried out at the site of the Waste Management and Sanitation Company (SGDS), proceeded under the stringent oversight of judicial authorities. Magistrates, high-ranking representatives from the Ministry of Justice, along with contingents from the Republican Police and the Béninese Armed Forces, were all present to ensure the integrity of the process.

SOMMAIRE

• A major port seizure permanently neutralized
• Cannabis and psychotropic substances also incinerated
• An operation under strict regulatory security

Raynier Florent Gnansomon, the Director General of Anracs, clarified that these illicit substances originated from various enforcement actions undertaken as part of Bénin’s national strategy to dismantle drug trafficking networks.

A major port seizure permanently neutralized

The most substantial component of this incineration was the 95 kilograms of pure cocaine. This significant cargo was initially intercepted in mid-May 2026 at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou during a targeted surveillance operation by the Special Unit of River and Maritime Police (USPFM). Elite officers discovered five bales of the drug cleverly concealed within the strainer of a foreign-flagged container ship. Following the seizure, the case was transferred to the Central Office for the Suppression of Illicit Drug and Precursor Trafficking (Ocertid) for a thorough investigation.

Cannabis and psychotropic substances also incinerated

Beyond the cocaine, Anracs also oversaw the destruction of extensive quantities of cannabis and a substantial volume of psychotropic products, all confiscated through recent judicial proceedings.

The agency emphasized that this systematic destruction serves a dual purpose: to rigorously enforce court decisions and to definitively eliminate any potential risk of these dangerous products re-entering or leaking into local or international criminal supply chains.

An operation under strict regulatory security

The transportation, securing of the Ahozon site, and the meticulous monitoring of the combustion process were entrusted to an impressive joint deployment of military and police personnel.

“Their destruction represents one of our primary mandates,” affirmed Raynier Florent Gnansomon. He highlighted that Anracs is thus fulfilling its legal obligation to manage and liquidate assets seized in connection with transnational crime. By moving from judicial custody to complete incineration, these toxic products symbolize the successful conclusion of numerous procedures aimed at dismantling mafia networks across Bénin.