Seven individuals have been arrested for migrant smuggling off the coast of Sangomar. The National Division for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Related Practices (DNLT) has charged them with criminal conspiracy, attempted migrant smuggling by sea and endangering the lives of others.

The arrests followed the Senegalese Navy’s seizure of a canoe used for illegal emigration off Sangomar, which is located 50 nautical miles north of the Senegalese-Gambian border and 50 nautical miles from the Gambian coast. The canoe was carrying 147 migrants, including 83 Senegalese, 29 Gambians, 23 Guineans, nine Malians, two Ghanaians and one Ivorian national. Among them were 125 men, 20 women and 12 children, including two girls. The migrants confirmed that they were economic migrants who had been recruited by two individuals acting as the main organisers of the trafficking operation. They also reported paying between 300,000 and 600,000 CFA francs to undertake the journey. Subsequent investigations identified seven individuals designated as crew members for this voyage.

The suspects have been brought before the court, and the investigation is ongoing.