Five Senegalese marine commandos have gone missing after a suspected drug-trafficking vessel was deliberately sunk off Dakar’s coast during a navy search operation, according to the armed forces.
The incident occurred on Friday when a Senegalese patrol boat intercepted the vessel, believed to be linked to the trafficking of cocaine from South America to Europe through West African transit points.
The armed forces reported that while conducting a search, the marine commando team aboard observed the ship’s valves being opened.
They stated, “Everything suggests that this sabotage action, consisting of sinking the ship, aimed to erase all evidence of the illicit cargo.”
Following the deliberate sinking, the patrol boat initiated a rescue mission, successfully saving seven of its team members and 10 crew members from the intercepted vessel. However, a search operation is ongoing to locate the five missing marine commandos.
