In a significant operation on Friday, June 5, 2026, the regional branch of the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS) in Zinder dismantled a transnational network. Officers seized 920 grams of cocaine ingeniously concealed inside bales of second-hand clothing in the Djaguindi neighborhood. Two suspects—a Nigerien and a Beninese national—were arrested. This seizure highlights the growing sophistication of traffickers who exploit the Lomé-Niamey-Lagos corridor.
The operation reveals the advanced methods employed by narcotics networks operating in West Africa. Acting on a reliable tip from the local population, OCRTIS investigators carried out a targeted raid in the heart of the regional capital. The two individuals taken into custody reflect the cross-border nature of the trade: one is a Nigerien resident of Zinder, while the other is a Beninese national passing through the city. This duo illustrates how networks fluidly combine local actors and foreign intermediaries along West African trade routes.
The trafficking route: the ‘Bocho’ trick
The drugs were hidden inside bales of used clothing—locally known as “Bocho”—arriving from Lomé, Togo. These goods, which flow in large commercial volumes and provide perfect cover, transited through Niamey before reaching their final destination in Nigeria. The modus operandi uncovered by the investigation aligns with trends documented by regional anti-drug agencies: using massive, legal trade flows to conceal narcotics. Bales of second-hand clothes are a major import-export vector between Togo, Niger, and Nigeria, making them a dangerously effective camouflage for traffickers.
“The National Police is your safety and that of your property.” — Official message from OCRTIS Niger, National Police.
Beyond the seizure itself, this operation underscores the critical role of community cooperation in anti-drug efforts. OCRTIS publicly commended the residents of Zinder, whose alert enabled the intervention. In the tense security context of the Sahel, maintaining trust between law enforcement and communities is a strategic priority to curb trafficking that destabilizes local economies and fuels other forms of organized crime.
Call for citizen vigilance
Finally, OCRTIS urges the public to remain vigilant against trafficking networks. To report confidential information, the National Police provides toll-free hotlines: 8383 and 17.
