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U.S. Department of State
1996 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 1997

United States Department of State

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs


Africa and the Middle East

SENEGAL

I. Summary

Senegal is not a significant drug-producing country. However, the availability of air and sea connections to Europe and North America, coupled with the termination of direct flights between Lagos and New York in 1993, make Senegal a potentially important narcotics transiting point. Most drug-related arrests take place at Senghor International Airport. The level of domestic drug abuse among youth (primarily marijuana) has remained fairly consistent over the past two years, but is not yet considered a major problem. Senegal is a party to all the major international treaties dealing with drug production and trafficking. Inadequate local resources, weak border controls and competing national priorities are the principal obstacles to effective drug enforcement.

II. Status of Country

Senegal is not a significant drug-producing country. The only domestically grown narcotic is cannabis, which is sold mostly for domestic consumption. There is evidence at the same time that European tourists are becoming increasingly important consumers of cannabis. Senegal has increased annually in importance as a transit point for drugs bound for North American and European markets, but there is no evidence that it has a significant effect on the US. Nigerian nationals lead the list of hard-drug arrests. Nigerian traffickers often come to Dakar to either recruit or assist the onward travel of non-Nigerian traffickers who are less likely to attract unwanted attention from immigration authorities at Western points of entry. The principal air trafficking routes are the Bombay--Addis Ababa--Dakar route and those flights which either fly directly or connect into Lagos or Abidjan. The most common method of drug smuggling is the use of "body carriers", couriers who have ingested the drugs in capsules, balloons or condoms. Senegalese citizens increasingly are caught up in the international drug trade, as is evident in the growing number of Senegalese involved in both fraudulent documentation and drug-related cases in France, Germany and Italy. US Embassy officials do not believe that Senegal is a major money laundering center.

III. Country Action Against Drugs in 1996

Policy Initiatives. Although behind, the Government of Senegal (GOS) is currently pursuing some major policy initiatives on drugs. Drug-related legislation was introduced in Parliament and awaits ratification. Despite meager resources, Senegal has met the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Convention. The US Embassy believes that the GOS has abided by the multilateral or regional agreements into which it has entered. Furthermore, the GOS has enacted legal and law enforcement measures to prevent and punish narcotics-related public corruption.

Accomplishments. The GOS has not made significant progress in the effort to end the illicit cultivation, production, or distribution of cannabis. It is handicapped in its eradication efforts by economic considerations; local growers prefer to plant cannabis, which they can sell for cash at the Gambian border, rather than ground nuts or other legitimate crops for which payment from the government is often delayed. The country does not have the resources to commit to any sort of regular eradication program. Money laundering does not play an important role in the Senegalese drug trade; however, money laundering is not adequately addressed in the new proposed drug legislation. Asset seizure rarely comes into play in Senegal, since most persons arrested are transients rather than Senegalese residents.

Law Enforcement Efforts. The majority of drug arrests are made as a result of search and seizures performed at Senghor International Airport. However, in November Senegalese authorities seized six kgs of heroin from a local post office box, which had been rented under an alias. The drugs had been sent from Bangkok. Local drug officials are unaware of the extent to which post office boxes are used in the illicit drug trade, yet admit that the scheme appeared to be well organized and had been ongoing for an indeterminate amount of time. Although statistics are difficult to obtain, the number of arrests involving hard drugs has averaged around 23 annually. In contrast, cannabis-related arrests nationally number in the thousands. Most cannabis arrests involve users and low-level pushers. There are problems in encouraging more effective cooperation among the myriad government agencies involved in combating drugs. For example, under present laws, customs authorities are required to seize illegal narcotics immediately upon discovery. The police would like to see legislation introduced which would, in certain circumstances, allow the drugs to enter the country so that surveillance could establish the identities of the principal buyers and distributors. The National Commission on Narcotics, created seven years ago, has not proven to be an effective body for the coordination of drug enforcement activities.

Corruption. The low standard of living and comparatively low wage scale of civil servants in Senegal represent serious vulnerabilities, given the large sums of money available to major drug networks. Although difficult to document, it is virtually certain that corruption plays an important role in the illicit narcotics trade in Senegal.

Agreements and Treaties. Senegal is a party to all three major UN drug conventions, including the 1988 UN Convention. It has also acceded to the World Customs Organization's 1977 International Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance for the Prevention, Investigation and Repression of Customs Offences. Annex 10 of this Convention deals with assistance in action against the smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Senegal has extradition treaties with the Cape Verde Islands, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Tunisia and France. Senegal is a member of Interpol and places heavy reliance on drug information obtained through Interpol channels.

Cultivation/Production. Senegal's drug production is limited to cannabis (yamba), including a somewhat more potent West African variant known as lopito. Most of this is grown along the border with Gambia and in the marshy isles of the Saloum Region.

Drug Flow/Transit. Although difficult to chart, drug trafficking through Dakar has been steadily increasing. The government publishes statistics on drug arrests and seizures infrequently, and usually only in connection with a public drug destruction exercise normally held in the spring. The last annual compilation of drug seizures published in the press was in 1989. In that year, authorities seized 14.5 kgs of heroin. Evidence indicates that the flow of drugs through the Port of Dakar may be even harder to control than through the international airport.

IV. US Policy Initiatives and Programs

Policy Initiatives. The principal US objective is to assist local authorities in curbing the transit of narcotics through Dakar to North America and Europe. The main obstacle is the lack of local resources and the level of poverty, which present fertile ground for the financial inducements of the drug trade and lead to corruption in border control operations and law enforcement. In addition, the country's low level of economic development makes fighting drugs a relatively low priority in the face of more pressing problems.

The Senegalese Government has been generally supportive of international treaties and conventions to improve or expand drug interdiction programs at the international level. The French and the Germans are Senegal's principal drug-assistance partners. Senegalese complicity in the production of false documentation used in drug-related offenses continues to be a major concern of these donors.

Bilateral Cooperation. In March 1996, the USG facilitated the travel and training of two Senegalese officials to the Africa--Middle East Regional Drug Enforcement Seminar presented by DEA in Addis Ababa.

The Road Ahead. Although the Senegalese Government is very receptive to counternarcotics training and materials, it has not made serious gains against illicit narcotics trafficking. Despite an increase in local drug use, national priorities are dominated by other more pressing social and economic problems, which preclude an effective, well-coordinated response to the illegal drug problem.

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