Niger destroys over 319 kg of cocaine in Niamey incineration operation

Niamey, 7 June 2026 – Nigerien authorities have taken another decisive step against drug trafficking by incinerating a large cocaine shipment seized in several operations across the country. The ceremony took place this Sunday at the Central Livestock Laboratory (LABOCEL), under the authority of the National Coordination Commission for the Fight against Drugs (CNCLD).

Over 319 kg of cocaine destroyed

In total, 280 bricks of cocaine, weighing 319.745 kilogrammes, were burned. This substantial quantity came from two major seizures: 47 bricks intercepted in Gaya, Dosso region, on 29 September 2025, and 233 bricks seized in Zinder on 19 May 2026.

Before the incineration, agents from the Directorate of Technical and Scientific Police (DPTS) analysed a sample of the substance. Tests confirmed it was cocaine hydrochloride (HCL).

Destruction follows international drug management standards

In his remarks, CNCLD president Mai Moussa Elhadji Bashir emphasised that this operation meets global requirements for handling confiscated narcotics. He noted that authorities must destroy seized drugs within reasonable timeframes to avoid storage risks, even as judicial proceedings can last several years.

Judicial and security authorities mobilise

Presiding over the ceremony, Justice Minister Alio Daouda oversaw the drug destruction process alongside several senior judicial and security officials. Also present were the Public Prosecutor at the Niamey High Court, the Director of the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS), the Director General of LABOCEL, and representatives from defence and security forces.

Ultimately, this destruction of more than three hundred kilogrammes of cocaine underscores the determination of Nigerien authorities to intensify the fight against drug trafficking networks, a phenomenon that poses a growing challenge to the security and stability of the Sahel region.