Bénin: massive destruction of seized drugs in Ouidah

In a decisive move against organized crime, authorities in the Bénin executed a major operation on June 18, 2026, in Ahozon, Ouidah. The National Agency for the Recovery of Confiscated and Seized Assets (Anracs) publicly incinerated multiple shipments of narcotics and psychotropic substances intercepted nationwide.

Major port seizure permanently neutralized

The centerpiece of the destruction was 95 kilograms of pure cocaine, seized a month earlier at the Port of Cotonou. According to Anracs Director General Raynier Florent Gnansomon, these substances originated from multiple operations targeting drug trafficking networks across the country.

The cocaine shipment had been discovered in mid-May 2026 during a targeted surveillance operation by the Special River and Maritime Police Unit. Elite officers found five drug bundles cleverly concealed within a ship’s strainer system. The case was subsequently handed to the Central Office for Combating Illicit Drug and Precursors Trafficking (Ocertid) for thorough investigation.

Additional cannabis and psychotropic substances destroyed

Beyond the cocaine, authorities also disposed of substantial quantities of cannabis and psychotropic substances that had been seized in recent judicial proceedings. The agency emphasized that this systematic destruction serves two critical purposes: enforcing court decisions and eliminating any possibility of these hazardous materials re-entering either local or international criminal networks.

High-security regulatory framework ensures complete disposal

A robust joint security force comprising military and police units oversaw the transportation, site security, and incineration process at the Ahozon facility. “This destruction represents one of our core responsibilities,” stated Gnansomon, highlighting Anracs’ legal mandate to manage and liquidate assets seized in transnational crime cases. By permanently removing these toxic substances from judicial custody through controlled combustion, the operation concludes multiple investigations into drug trafficking networks operating in Bénin.

The incineration ceremony was attended by judicial authorities, senior representatives from the Ministry of Justice, and officers from the Bénin Republican Police and Armed Forces, underscoring the government’s commitment to eradicating drug-related crime in the country.