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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 25 Jul 2023 : 23:24:49
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https://standard.gm/5-arrested-for-smuggling-drugs-to-brussels-through-banjul-airport/
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July 25, 2023
Five suspects have been arrested following an investigation into drug smuggling at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, the Federal Judicial Police (FGP) of Halle-Vilvoorde confirmed, The Brussels Times reported on Friday. According to the report, the drugs were reportedly flown to Brussels in a flight from the Banjul International Airport. Among the suspects are two baggage handlers who worked for a drug gang and were caught transporting several suitcases filled with cocaine from an airplane. Police officers at Brussels Airport had been watching the two airport employees for some time.
“An investigation was opened which showed that the two men were part of a criminal organisation involved in the smuggling of drugs from Africa,” Carol Vercarre of the Halle-Vilvoorde Public Prosecutor’s Office told VRT.
“The gang always worked in the same way: on flights from the capital of The Gambia (Banjul) several suitcases with drugs were hidden among the luggage. The two airport employees were responsible for removing these suitcases from the plane. One of them took the bags before handing them over to other members of the gang outside the airport building.”
A street value of €6 million
The Brussels Times also reported that last Tuesday, another flight landed from Banjul, which was closely monitored by investigators from the Federal Judicial Police. Although the suspected employees were not due to work at that time, both were present at the airport when the flight landed at Zaventem.
“They took several suitcases from the plane, after which one of them left the airport with the bags. A few kilometres away, he was met by three cars and the suitcases were loaded into these cars,” Vercarre said.
“At that moment the police successfully intervened. Three suitcases were found with a total of approximately 120 kilograms of cocaine, which corresponds to a street value of €6 million.”
In the end, five suspects were arrested and in a series of subsequent house searches, the police also seized large sums of cash, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 01 Aug 2023 : 20:38:45
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/dleag-says-origin-of-bags-containing-cocaine-at-airport-remains-unknown
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Aug 1, 2023, 11:52 AM | Article By: Momodou Jawo
Headlines.
The Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG)-The Gambia has stated that “based on available information, the circumstances surrounding the origin of the bags containing cocaine which was recently seized at the country’s international airport remains unknown.
The narcotic agency announced that a “full and thorough investigation” has been launched to come to the bottom of the case.
“On Thursday 20th July 2023, we received information from partners of the seizure of three (3) drug-laden traveling bags. The bags were reportedly seized on Tuesday 18th July 2023 some few kilometers from the Brussels Airport. Each of the seized bags is alleged to be containing forty (40) blocks of cocaine. An investigation was immediately commissioned to unearth the circumstances surrounding the shipment of the drugs.”
“Subsequently, contact was established with Belgian investigators to share possible leads and exchange information. Preliminary findings revealed that the three bags, all wrapped in transparent plastics, were unaccompanied and none of them had the security tag of Brussels Airlines from Banjul. While the seizure is being associated with the 17th of July 2023 Brussels Airlines flight from Banjul, the three check-in bag tags bear different dates specifically: the 15th, the 17th and the 25th April, 2023. Curiously, this is almost three months before the announcement of the July 17th, 2023, seized drugs.”
“Verification with Brussels Airlines revealed that there was no flight operated to and from Banjul on 15th and 25th April 2023. Furthermore, the route on the bag tags was Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – Brussels (BRU) – Banjul (BJL), suggesting that the bags were inbound and not outbound as contained in the allegations.”
“Based on available information, the circumstances surrounding the origin of these bags remain blurry. However, a full and thorough investigation has been launched to come to the bottom of this case.”
“DLEAG would like to reassure Gambians and our bilateral and multilateral partners of its commitment to the fight against transnational drug trafficking and are determined to hold drug dealers criminally accountable.”
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