Tamba: prohibited goods worth 524 million FCFA incinerated

Prohibited goods estimated at 524 million CFA francs were incinerated on Monday by the southeast regional customs service, which covers the regions of Tambacounda and Kédougou, in the presence of administrative authorities and security forces.

The operation took place under the supervision of the governor of the Tambacounda region, Guedj Diouf, the regional director of south-east customs, Colonel Issa Ndiaye, as well as several actors involved in the fight against smuggling and illicit trafficking, according to APS.

The destroyed products consist mainly of veterinary drugs and drugs intended for human medicine, 580 kilograms of Indian hemp, but also various prohibited items such as plastic bags, cigarettes, shisha and aphrodisiac products.

According to Colonel Issa Ndiaye, the value of the drugs seized is estimated at 377 million CFA francs, while Indian hemp represents 82 million CFA francs on the illicit market. Other proceeds are valued at 63 million CFA francs, bringing the total seizures to 524 million CFA francs.

This cremation session coincides with the commemoration of the 2026 edition of International Customs Day (ICD), a strong moment to recall the strategic role of the customs administration in protecting the national economy and public health. The regional customs director specified that the majority of these goods come from cross-border smuggling networks, using various modes and means of transport from neighboring countries.

To this end, Colonel Issa Ndiaye launched a call for collaboration from local populations, inviting them to work closely with the customs services in order to strengthen the effectiveness of control and security actions in this strategic area in the south-east of the country. The southeast regional customs service, which covers Tambacounda and Kédougou, is in fact located in a border area with Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and the Gambia, exposed to illicit flows of goods.