Within a week of receiving training from the Dakar based African AIRCOP team the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force at Niamey airport in Niger reported the arrest of a Guinea Bissau national. The courier, travelling from Monrovia was carrying 70 pellets with 1,241 grams of cocaine. According to the team leader the arrest was made possible by the profiling techniques taught in the training.
New task forces are also becoming operational at Yaoundé and Douala airports in Cameroon. Comprised of agents from Customs, Police and Gendarmerie forces selected for their professionalism and probity, the team received initial training by French Police and the Swiss Customs specialized in the fight against drug smuggling and organized crime. Further training will follow on targeting and profiling techniques, communication tools, drug routes, forgery detection, cargo control, and other elements related to illicit trafficking.
