Bénin dismantles major drug haul with 95kg cocaine incinerated in Ouidah

In a decisive blow against organized crime, Benin’s anti-narcotics authorities executed a high-profile incineration operation in Ouidah on June 18, 2026. The National Agency for Recovery of Confiscated and Seized Assets (Anracs) publicly destroyed multiple drug consignments, including 95 kilograms of pure cocaine, along with significant quantities of cannabis and psychotropic substances seized nationwide.

Landmark port seizure neutralized permanently

The most significant consignment destroyed was the 95 kilograms of pure cocaine, intercepted in mid-May at the Port of Cotonou. Elite officers from the Special River and Maritime Police Unit (USPFM) discovered five concealed drug bundles ingeniously hidden within a foreign-flagged container ship’s strainer during a targeted surveillance operation. The case was subsequently handed to the Central Office for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking and Precursors (Ocertid) for comprehensive investigation.

According to Raynier Florent Gnansomon, Director General of Anracs, these substances originated from coordinated operations under Benin’s national anti-narcotics framework. The incineration underscores the government’s commitment to dismantling transnational drug networks operating across West Africa.

Cannabis and psychotropic stocks also obliterated

Beyond cocaine, the operation included the destruction of substantial cannabis stocks and psychotropic substances seized during recent judicial proceedings. Anracs emphasized that systematic destruction serves a dual purpose: enforcing court rulings and eliminating all risks of these substances re-entering illicit markets, whether locally or internationally.

Military-grade security for a critical operation

The transport, site security at Ahozon, and the incineration process itself were overseen by a joint military-police task force. Gnansomon reiterated that this destruction aligns with Anracs’ legal mandate to manage and liquidate assets seized in transnational crime cases. By removing these toxic substances from judicial seals through combustion, Benin signals the definitive conclusion of multiple mafia network dismantling operations.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst