The mystical Baobab Island is located in a serene setting next to Kuloro, in the Farasuto Forest, among the few remaining and now isolated forest patches left in the whole of the Gambia. A businessman called Rudy Rasoe Hamid Ghazi had just paid 250,000 Euros to rent the whole island for a year, he had informed the locals that his investors were wealthy Spanish hoteliers that were going to convert the run down hotel into a world class eco-resort. The inhabitants from the village of Kuloro were promised jobs and additional tourists who would help to revitalize the local economy.
This was a welcome addition to help boost a non existent economy where the the minimum wage is just $1.75 a day for unskilled labour and unemployment is running at over 60%. Ghazi was it seemed well connected in The Gambia and was a successful businessman in The Gambia.
Rudy Rasoe Hamid Ghazi a Dutch national of Surinamese origin, residing in The Gambia since 2004 was also the CEO OF HolGam Company, a registered Venezuelan based company in The Gambia. The company was granted fishing license by The Gambian Government, under the auspices of enhancing Banjul’s bilateral ties with Venezuela. This followed President Jammeh’s visit to Venezuela—wooing South American investors into the impoverished West African country. The Fisheries Ministry was very instrumental in ensuring that Hol-Gam was granted business license to operate in The Gambia.
Small Beginnings
On the 12th day of May 2010 Narcotic officer Kebba Bojang was sitting in HIS office trying to figure out how he was going to keep cool in the cramped room which served at the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) office at Brufut - Ghana town when he received a phone tip off. The information we received was that there are three people at the exclusive Taf Estate were are suspected to be in possession of prohibited drugs.It was around 16:00 when Bojang accompanied by tow other officers arrived at the residence.
There they met with 47-year-old Fernando “Furá” Varela a Dutch/Cape Verde national, Muminatu Sissay who holds both Sierra Leonean and Nigerian citizenship, and Godwin Barset a Ghanian/Sierra Leonean national “Furá” was a native of Santa Catarina on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Furá was an émigré in the Netherlands and held a Dutch passport. In the 1990s, he settled back in Cape Verde and opened commercial establishments in Assomada and Tarrafal. He was a member of the Santa Catarina municipal assembly, representing the MpD, between 1996 and 2000.
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| Brufut Estates |
The suspects were greeted and they also introduced themselves as officers from the NDEA and that they want to conduct a search of their premises. Muminatu Sissay,
who was from Sierra Leone asked them whether they had a search warrant at which point they then showed their warrant cards, but before they started conducting the search, Muminatu decided to offer them Five thousand Euro but they refused the offer.They then proceeded to conduct the search and discovered three kilos of cocaine. Muminatu Sissay then decided to up the ante and offered them 18, 500 Euros this was also refused. Muminatu Sissay told the officers that the 3kilos of cocaine that it was given to her by Ephraim Michel Chiduben, a Nigerian national lodging at Coco Ocean Hotel.
The officers went to Coco Ocean and with Ephiam Micheal Chidubem who was arrested and interrogated about the issue. He later admitted giving 1kg to Maimuna Sesay. When asked about the source of the cocaine and he confessed that Carlos Sanchez, a Venezuelan national gave it to him. When asked about the whereabouts of Carlos Sanchez, he said he did not know where Sanchez was residing. On the request of the officers, Ephiam Micheal Chidubem called Carlos Sanchez to meet him at the hotel as if they where conducting another drug deal. When Carlos Sanchez came, the officers arrested him and both of them were escorted to the NDEA office in Kanifing for Further investigation.
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| Coco Ocean Hotel |
Further investigations lead the officers to Carlos Sanchez's residence in Kotu and Conducted a search but nothing was found in the compound. During the search,
a white Ford pick-up (American type) Appeared around the vicinity and immediately When they noticed the presence of the officers in the compound, they fled. A chase ensured
but they lost them.
But later, the investigation led the officers to the Hol-Gam Company where Carlos Sanchez is a shareholder and surprisingly after reaching the Gam Holding Company, the officers saw the same Ford pickup that was seen at the residence of Carlos Sanchez parked inside the premises or Hol-Gam Company. The officers asked who parked the vehicle and it was revealed That Juan Carlos Diaz and Luis Dose Fermin, both Venezuelan nationals, drove the vehicle into the premises. They were found there by the officers and later arrested. The officers later with the managing director of the company, one Rudy Rasool Hamid Ghazi, a Dutch national. At that point, the three were arrested and taken for interrogations.
Juan Carlos Sanchez, is a Venezuelan and had been in The Gambia for almost two years before his arrest, on the 13th of May 2010. Sanchez was active in Guinea Bissau, holding
different business interests including fishing boats. He had brought over Juan Carlos Diaz, Esteaban Zavalla Eric Bottini and Luis Dose Fermin as his logistics crew who were all staying at the baobab island resort. At the island hideaway which had direct access to the Gambia River and the open sea police found money, guns and communication equipment.
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| Gambia Nitelife |
Between the year 2009 and 14th May 2010 at Kuloro Sanchez had in his possession a AR-15-A2 rifle (American type) CAL223, a shot gun (Russian type), a Gluck hand gun pistol (Austrian), rounds of live ammunition, GPS tracking equipemt, sat coms and more than €210,000 in €500 notes. According to Sanchez the ministry of interior in Bissau had issued and also authorized him to carry fire arms with him. Sanchez boss in Venezuela was called Gunzale who is a national of Panama, he also has a business interests Panama and China. Gunzale was more properly the sourse of the cocaine from Columbia to Venezuela from FARC.
The Gambian Justice saw Ghazi as the local connection behind the cocaine route between South America and Europe, The Gambia being as storage and staging post. Carlos Sanchez was the head of the Venezuelan group with whom Ghazi was working with from his base in Guinea-Bissau, Sanchez would be in charge of the import, storage and export of South American cocaine to Europe. George Sanchez came to the Gambia for the first time on the 5th of May 2010 through the invitation of one Sierra Leonean lady called Kate whom he met earlier in Ghana.He was born in Mexico and held dual Liberian nationality. Ghazi and George Sanchez were arrested on the 13th of May 2010 at around 17:30 at the premises of Holgam. Ghazi admitted previously approaching a NDEA agent Pateh Jallow to assist in taking a quantity of cocaine to Holland and gave 6kg of cocaine with 6,500 Euros to Pateh Jallow to help transport the cocaine. Pateh Jallow took the cocaine but sold it himself (Ghazi) went to the NDEA to ask for Pateh but was informed that Pateh had left the employment of the NDEA.
Later in the investigations, it was revealed that they have a warehouse in Bonto. A team was dispatched to Bonto and working with the Gambian NDEA, SOCA conducted forensic examinations of various locations, electronic equipment and took samples of drugs recovered during earlier searches. SOCA officers helped recover more than €210,000 in€500 notes and a number of loaded firearms.They also located a previously undiscovered underground bunker concealed behind a false wall in a warehouse used by the fishing company in the Bonto area.
When the bunker was investigated on the evening of 4th June 2010, 85 sacks were discovered containing a total of 2,100 kilos of cocaine ‘bricks’ valued about over $1 billion dollars,as well as around 60 empty sacks, indicating that the bunker has been used as a distribution centre for some time.
A complex web
In Apr 2010 the U.S. designated two Guinea-Bissau based individuals, Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto and Ibraima Papa Camara, as drug kingpins. Bubo Na Tchuto fled to The Gambia by boat. The Gambian Government allocated General Bubu with private residence, car and guards, but notwithstanding he was able to leave the country unnoticed. His escape led to the arrest of State Guard soldiers assigned to the runaway Navy Chief—some of whom were charged. They were arraigned before a military court martial, after been accused of negligent of duty, aiding and abetting the escape of a Guinean army fugitive.
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| West African Cell-Sixty prisoners share a 25 sq m cell and are locked in for 16 hours at a stretch with a single bucket for a toilet. There are no beds or mattresses, and scabies and other infectious diseases are rife. |
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| Robert Yaw Danquah |
In and Out
Another person connected with Ghazi and Sanchez was a Ghanaian national Robert Danquah. He was arrested by officials of the Nation Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) found in his possession a sum of a D1.08M, some telephone handsets and a computer all recovered from him at his room at a Guest House called 'Just for you'. He told the police the money had been given to him by one Carlos Mango which was meant for the legal fees of sanchez in the 2 tonne drug case. Police had recovered a DHL package and two mobile phones in a room at the baobab island occupied by one of
Danquah’s alleged accomplices Sanchez, who told them that the package was sent by Danquah. Danquah was held in the custody of the NDEA for five weeks incommunicado.
Pa Habibu Mbye, former crime management coordinator (CMC) at the NDEA and Alh Foday Barry, former director of intelligence and investigation were dealing with Danquah. He demanded to see Foday Barry and asked him whether he was not entitled to a lawyer, and that if not then they needed to contact the Ghanaian government to inform them. Barry & Mbye said he must gave them 200,000 Euros before granting him bail. He later confirmed from the the two offices that if he failed to give the mentioned amount, he would never get bail.
“I then asked him, ‘Why?’, he said because I am a drug baron who has the money to pay,” .
Later that day rather than pay the 200,000 Euros Danquah escaped police custody and fled back to Ghana.
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| $1 billion dollars,as well as around 60 empty sacks, indicating that the bunker has been used as a distribution centre for some time. |
In august he appeared before the court where to the shock of the audience the prosecution announced it had decided to drop all charges against Danquah due to lack of evidence. He would later appear as a prosecution witness against Pa Habibu Mbye, former crime management coordinator (CMC) at the NDEA and Alh Foday Barry, former director of
intelligence and investigation for theft of his D1.08M meant for Sanchez.
All Is Fair
Robert Danquah- Ghanaian national arrested, escaped, arrested, extradited,tried, all charges dropped
Godwin Barset- Ghanaian national pleaded guilty but was acquitted and discharged
Muminatu Sissay- Sierra Leone/ Nigerian national pleaded guilty one-year mandatory jail term and a fine of D2 million
Fernando “Furá” Varela- Dutch/ Cap Verde nationality pleaded guilty 18 months plus 18,500-Euro fine.
Ephraim Micheal Chiduben- Nigerian national pleaded guilty 1 year 6 months and a fine D2 million was acquitted and discharged on 29th December 2011 on appeal.
Rudy Rasoe Hamid Ghazi- Dutch/Surinam national 20 years plus $60,000 fine
Juan Carlos Sanchez- Venezuelan national 32 years plus $60,000 fine
Dennis Wilgo Winter- Dutch/Surinam national died in custody before sentence
Louis Dose Fermin Venezuelan national 20 years plus $60,000 fine before sentence
Eric Bottini Venezuelan national 20 years plus $60,000 fine
Juan Carlos Diaz- Venezuelan national 20 years plus $60,000 fine
Esteaban Zavala- Venezuelan national 20 years plus $60,000 fine
George Sanchez- a Mexican/Liberian national 20 years plus $60,000 fine
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| The In Crowd |
Endgame
The West African cocaine trade has a long chain of networking in the trafficking of illicit substances, as well as financial transfers. The link goes from the drugs Cartels, to the security/government officials, then to middlemen and, finally, to carriers. The South American drugs syndicates use Bissau and its remote inaccessible islands as a hub for transiting cocaine to Europe by infiltrating the country's security forces. A high placed senior manager working in a commercial bank in the Gambia lamented over the loose banking regulations and the involvement of big business players through a front cover business venture, the premier function of some new banks in capital flight. Financial transactions are used to launder drugs money to various parts of the world. According to a my source, in the hard economic conditions, the monthly wages of the majority of the Gambian working class are only just putting food on the table, so that people have no surplus to save. This defies the logic of registering dozens of commercial banks.
According to statistics from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, based on an analysis of seizures in Europe, 27% (40 tons) of the cocaine consumed annually in Europe is transiting West Africa, and is worth US $1.8 billion at wholesale level. Out of the large individual seizures from each West African country, 2, 200kg is found to have come from the Gambia.
Nearly 60 per cent of all the cocaine consumed in Western Europe, with a street value of $18-billion, is believed to be transported through Guinea-Bissau and other West African states – including Mali, where the drug money may have helped rebels seize the northern half of the country this month.
An investigation by the United Nations drug-control agency has estimated that up to 2,200 pounds of cocaine is flown into Guinea-Bissau every night, and more arrives by sea. About 50 drug lords from Colombia are based in Guinea-Bissau, controlling the cocaine trade and bribing the military and politicians to protect it, the UN investigation found.
Across the region, an estimated 50 tons of cocaine is transported through West Africa every year, mostly from Colombia and Venezuela, destined for the lucrative street trade
in Europe.
Guinea-Bissau is a natural base for the traffickers because of its instability and corruption, its porous borders, and its many uninhabited islands where planes can land from Latin America. The cocaine is then repackaged to be smuggled northward to Europe, by ship or across the Sahara desert.