A Mauritanian Politician Confirms that Elements from the Polisario-run Camps are Still Active in Cocaine Trafficking Across the Sahara
Contact: K.Drawi, 240-994-2476
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 20, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- In a recent interview with France 24 Arabic, the spokesperson in France for the Mauritania's ruling Union for the Republic Party (UPR), Ahmadou Abdel Malek, confirmed that members from the Polisario-run camps near Tindouf, Algeria are still heavily involved in cocaine trafficking across the Sahara.
"Mauritanian security forces arrested several gangs and this is not the first time they arrested a group which included members of the Polisario," said the spokesman of the UPR.
Ahmadou Abdelmalek was referring to an operation conducted by the Mauritanian authorities at the beginning of February 2016, which resulted, thanks to intelligence provided by the US, in the seizure of a large quantity of drugs, including two tons of cocaine and the arrest of dozens of traffickers of various nationalities.
Quoting local security sources, the Mauritanian web site "Sahara Media" revealed that this network included Polisario elements, in addition to Algerian, Mauritanian, Malian and Senegalese smugglers.
These revelations prove, once again, that Nouakchott – Zouerat – Tindouf road is used not only to convey products smuggled in from the Canary Islands, but also to transport much less trivial products, on top of which the highly lucrative cocaine coming from Latin America across the Atlantic to reach the Mauritanian coast.
The traffickers generally do not limit their activities to this dangerous substance only. They also operate in weapons and ammunition trafficking as the arms trade is booming with the demand of all those jihadists and terror groups roaming in the Sahara-Sahel region.
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 20, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- In a recent interview with France 24 Arabic, the spokesperson in France for the Mauritania's ruling Union for the Republic Party (UPR), Ahmadou Abdel Malek, confirmed that members from the Polisario-run camps near Tindouf, Algeria are still heavily involved in cocaine trafficking across the Sahara.
"Mauritanian security forces arrested several gangs and this is not the first time they arrested a group which included members of the Polisario," said the spokesman of the UPR.
Ahmadou Abdelmalek was referring to an operation conducted by the Mauritanian authorities at the beginning of February 2016, which resulted, thanks to intelligence provided by the US, in the seizure of a large quantity of drugs, including two tons of cocaine and the arrest of dozens of traffickers of various nationalities.
Quoting local security sources, the Mauritanian web site "Sahara Media" revealed that this network included Polisario elements, in addition to Algerian, Mauritanian, Malian and Senegalese smugglers.
These revelations prove, once again, that Nouakchott – Zouerat – Tindouf road is used not only to convey products smuggled in from the Canary Islands, but also to transport much less trivial products, on top of which the highly lucrative cocaine coming from Latin America across the Atlantic to reach the Mauritanian coast.
The traffickers generally do not limit their activities to this dangerous substance only. They also operate in weapons and ammunition trafficking as the arms trade is booming with the demand of all those jihadists and terror groups roaming in the Sahara-Sahel region.