Interpol has announced the arrest of 45 individuals across West Africa in a three-month operation targeting drug trafficking and terrorism financing.
Among those detained was a suspected member of the Islamic State apprehended near the Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso border, as well as a North African individual believed to be attempting to travel through Europe to join Daesh in Syria.
The operation also led to the seizure of significant drug hauls, including cocaine valued at over $50 million in Cabo Verde and 10 tonnes of amphetamines in Burkina Faso.
“This marks a crucial step in dismantling transnational crime networks that threaten regional stability and hinder peace and development in West Africa,” said Mohamed Moussa, an Interpol official.