Nigeria, Morocco Dominate African Cocaine Smuggling Routes – Reports
Afimag.com –
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has revealed the country taking the lead in the cocaine and other hard drunks smuggling business in African continent.
In The Global Report on Cocaine 2023 released on March 16, 2023, the UN Agency announced Nigeria as the country in the top list of drug traffickers working with members of cult groups in European destination countries and those operating in Brazil to fast track their illegal business.
It stated that Nigeria highways in the 2018 – 2019 for cocaine trafficking were 20 African territories, including other territories such as China, Australia, India amongst others.
The report reads in part: “Based on aggregate reporting to UNODC, by Nigeria and other countries, on the main cocaine trafficking routes during 2018-2021, trafficking of cocaine was reported from Nigeria to 20 countries or territories, including countries within the subregion (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia), transit countries in Africa (Algeria, Ethiopia, Morocco).”
Others include “countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, China, Hong Kong, China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka), in the Near and Middle East/ South-West Asia (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) and in Europe (Turkiye, United Kingdom).
“Cocaine arrives in Nigeria via a variety of channels including bulk carrier vessels arriving at seaports such as Apapa, Tincan Island, and Onne: passenger flights into airports such as those of Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, and Kano: across land borders at various locations, including Seme (on the border with Benin) and llela (on the border with Niger); and via parcels delivered by courier companies or postal services.
“The most prominent departure country for cocaine reaching Nigeria is Brazil. Thus, despite the established and
well-connected presence of Nigerian traffickers within an international network of actors and counterparts trafficking cocaine (and other drugs), notably with regard to trafficking by air, in view of the available seizure data, it is plausible that the volume of cocaine transiting Nigerian territory is a relatively modest share of the quantities reaching West and Central Africa.
“It should, however, be borne in mind that Nigerian traffickers are also active in neighbouring countries as well as North Africa.
“Morocco is second to Nigeria in the African drug trafficking market.
UNODC’s President, Ghada Waly, cautioned that the perpetrators of the cocaine market to further expose Africa to a “dangerous reality”.
He advised governments to scrutinize the report’s findings in view to coming up with the lasting solution to the dangers associated with drug trafficking.
