- The son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau, Malam Bacai Sanha Jr., was found guilty of running a global heroin trafficking organization and received a sentence of more than six years in jail.
- Sanha Jr., who was connected to an unsuccessful coup attempt in February 2022, entered a guilty plea in September of last year for organizing an illicit narcotics import scheme.
- He is charged with smuggling heroin into Portugal from many nations and into the US from Europe. He may be deported after his incarceration, according to US authorities, because he is not an American citizen.
- Sanha Jr. served in a number of government positions, including advising his father’s finances. According to reports, he acknowledged his role in the 2022 failed coup attempt that claimed the lives of 11 individuals, the most of whom were security force personnel.
- He allegedly informed undercover agents of the US narcotics Enforcement Administration (DEA) that he utilized narcotics revenues to support the coup plotters.
- More than ten years ago, the UN and the US designated Guinea-Bissau as a “narco-state” due to its notoriety as a center for drug trafficking and as a major route for cocaine originating in Latin America and headed toward Europe.
- According to experts, drug traffickers and networks have a strong hold on power in the nation’s government and frequently contribute to the campaigns of candidates they trust to uphold the illicit trade.
Source:
Graphic Online
