Bénin’s fight against organized crime reached a significant milestone this Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Ahozon, located within the commune of Ouidah. The National Agency for the Recovery of Confiscated and Seized Assets (Anracs) carried out the public incineration of several shipments of narcotics and psychotropic substances previously seized across the national territory.

The operation, conducted at the site of the Waste Management and Sanitation Company (SGDS), included the destruction of 95 kilograms of cocaine intercepted just one month ago at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou. The process was strictly monitored by judicial authorities, with magistrates and senior representatives from the Ministry of Justice in attendance, supported by detachments from the Republican Police and the Bénin Armed Forces.

Neutralizing a major port seizure

Raynier Florent Gnansomon, the Director General of Anracs, detailed that these illicit substances were collected through various operations as part of the national policy to dismantle drug trafficking networks.

The most notable portion of the incinerated haul consisted of 95 kilograms of pure cocaine. This specific cargo was intercepted in mid-May 2026 at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou during a targeted surveillance operation by the Special River and Maritime Police Unit (USPFM). Elite officers discovered five drug bundles cleverly hidden within the sea chest of a foreign-flagged container ship. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Central Office for the Suppression of Illicit Drug Trafficking and Precursors (Ocertid) for further processing.

Cannabis and psychotropic drugs also destroyed

In addition to the cocaine, Anracs oversaw the destruction of substantial stocks of cannabis and a significant volume of psychotropic products seized during recent judicial proceedings.

The agency emphasized that this systematic destruction serves a dual purpose: strictly enforcing court decisions and permanently removing the risk of these dangerous products being reintroduced or leaked into local or international criminal circuits.

High-security regulatory protocols

The transport, securing of the Ahozon site, and the monitoring of the combustion process were managed by an impressive joint task force of military and police personnel.

“Their destruction is one of our core prerogatives,” stated Raynier Florent Gnansomon. He highlighted that Anracs is fulfilling its legal mandate to manage and liquidate assets seized in the context of transnational crime. By permanently removing these toxic substances from judicial seals and consigning them to the flames, the authorities have effectively concluded several major operations aimed at dismantling mafia networks in Bénin.