Guinea Bissau Cleans Up its Narco State Reputation

Concern is mounting that Guinea-Bissau’s efforts to stem the flow of drugs to Europe and the US have suffered a setback after a military-backed president took office. Court documents show that the loot seized in Guinea-Bissau’s largest ever drug bust last September included more than 20 vehicles, among them a “cinnamon coloured” Mercedes Benz, $3m stashed in bank accounts, $90,000 worth of wine and porridge found in a warehouse, and, of course, 1.8 tonnes of cocaine hidden in sacks of rice. Dubbed Operation Navara, the seizure culminated in 12 men – of Bissau-Guinean, Colombian, Mexican and Portuguese nationalities – being sentenced to between four and 16 years in prison last month. Although the two ringleaders were sentenced in absentia after they managed to evade arrest, the case was hailed as a legal success for the West African state in its efforts to shed its reputation as a major transit hub for cocaine flown or shipped from Latin America to Europe and North America.

SOURCE: BBC