

Latin Cocaine Cartels Increase Profits in West Africa
16:05 - Thursday 04 December 2008 - In Category World NewsDozens of South American drug barons have relocated to West Africa and are turning the region into a hub for cocaine trafficking.
According to a special report in the Telegraph newspaper, 10 years ago there were hardly any drug smugglers in West Africa.
Today, however, British law enforcement agencies estimate that around 30 percent of cocaine that ends up in Europe has passed through Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal or Guinea-Bissau.
Anti-drug officers believe the increase is linked to the growing number of South Americans who are settling on the West African coast.
One British official said: ‘There are increasing signs of a permanent presence in the region of significant players. They often have residences in more than one West African country and they go where they’re needed.’