The Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) at Lomé-Tokoin Airport has reported the seizure of just under 14 kilogramme of Schedule One drugs found in the luggage of a Togolese national. The traveler arrived from Sao Paulo via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airline flight. Law enforcement officers in West Africa have become increasingly aware of the popularity of this route with drug traffickers. Intriguingly, however, this courier carried a mixed consignment of liquid cocaine and heroin hidden in plastic bottles and perfume flasks. It suggests that trafficking organisations are now combining Afghani heroin and South American cocaine. Little is known at the moment about the organisations controlling this trade and how the substances are sourced and the transactions funded. One question arising is whether there is a commodity exchange of cocaine for heroin, which could, help explain the growing incidence of cocaine seizures in non-traditional markets like India.
The courier was arrested by the head of the Togolese JAITF at the immigration control. His brother, waiting outside the arrival hall was also arrested. Both are now helping the police with their inquiries.
