DOUALA AIRPORT : Two International Airlines Caught Transporting Drug Cargo Valued at 50 Billion FCFA
La voix des entreprises 
(LVDE) — A major anti-drug trafficking operation has enabled Cameroonian customs authorities to carry out a significant seizure at Douala International Airport. Six illegal shipments, valued at several tens of billions of FCFA, were intercepted thanks to targeted intelligence, revealing the involvement of two airlines operating between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Cameroonian customs services conducted a large-scale operation at Douala International Airport, seizing several parcels containing prohibited substances with an estimated market value of nearly 50 billion FCFA. The operation was carried out by customs surveillance teams based on strategic intelligence that helped identify international trafficking networks.
According to financial authorities, the seized cargo weighed approximately 2,491 kilograms of narcotics. The shipment included 1,057 kg of cocaine sent from Germany and 1,434 kg of tramadol originating from India and South Sudan. The traffickers had concealed these products under false commercial declarations as medical supplies in an attempt to bypass border control systems.
Two international airlines were identified as transport channels, one European and one African. Preliminary investigations suggest these companies may have served as logistical links for transnational criminal networks, using air transport to move illegal cargo into Central Africa.
This seizure also prevented the circulation of about 27 million tramadol tablets, an opioid often diverted from its medical use. Customs authorities stressed that this operation contributes to protecting public health in a context of rising illicit drug consumption in Cameroonian urban areas and the sub-region.
The intercepted goods were sealed and transferred to judicial authorities for further investigation. In accordance with the CEMAC Customs Code, the physical evidence and transport documents were submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Wouri High Court in Douala for legal proceedings. Authorities also plan the safe destruction of the seized products after legal procedures are completed.
This interception is part of a broader national strategy to combat international trafficking. Last year, nearly 200 kg of drugs valued at about 9 billion FCFA were seized in industrial barrels coming from Europe. Customs services reaffirm their determination to strengthen surveillance at airport platforms, which have become sensitive points for international criminal flows.
Esther Grace
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