Gendarmes seize about 250 kg of cannabis at Antakalanabe
Madagascar's gendarmerie seized an estimated 250 kg of cannabis at Antakalanabe during a night patrol; the suspected traffickers fled and no arrest was reported. The load was taken to the local gendarmerie post for destruction under a judicial decision, while officials said the trafficking routes remained under surveillance.
🇲🇬 Antakalanabe, Befandriana-Nord district · Madagascar
A gendarmerie patrol found a cannabis load being transported in Antakalanabe, in
Befandriana-Nord district.[1]The surprised traffickers fled, leaving the load
behind.[1]No suspect was arrested.[1]Gendarmes seized several sacks of
chanvre indien, or cannabis, estimated at about 250 kilograms.[1]The
operation took place during the night from Tuesday into Wednesday.[1]
The load was intercepted around midnight after targeted surveillance in a sector
identified as a sensitive point for cannabis trafficking.[2]The
woven-polyethylene sacks were found on the ground, secured and taken to the
local gendarmerie post.[2]The cannabis was to be destroyed at the post under
a judicial decision.[2]
The cannabis likely came from plantations hidden in remote areas near Ambanja
and Ambilobe.[1]The surrounding bush was difficult to access, and growers
used tracks that were lightly monitored.[1]Gendarmes monitored routes used to
carry cannabis toward Befandriana-Nord, Antsohihy and Antsiranana, and onward to
Mahajanga and Antananarivo.[1]The gendarmerie said the traffickers’ routes
remained under surveillance.[1]The gendarmerie was preparing targeted
operations to trace the plantations and dismantle the network.[1]
Photos and video
The abandoned cannabis load at the gendarmerie post, where it was taken for destruction.Photo details
The accounts describe the operation as Tuesday night into Wednesday without stating the calendar date; 9 July 2025 is inferred from the weekday and L'Express de Madagascar's 10 July publication date.
The 250 kg figure is an estimate, not a reported final weighed amount.
The sources say the seized cannabis was to be destroyed under a judicial decision but do not confirm whether or when destruction occurred.
No suspects are named, and no later charges or court outcome are reported.
LINFO.re identifies L'Express de Madagascar as its source for the seizure, so the two accounts are not independent corroboration.
Madagascar's national gendarmerie seized 371 kg of cannabis in Antsirabe and arrested three men, it announced on 17 February 2026. The gendarmerie said reports from residents led officers to bags holding the drug.
The Sofia gendarmerie reported 1,440 kg of cannabis in 114 sacks seized around Antsohihy over six months, with 10 arrests. The stock was burned on 8 December, and another 400 kg was seized the same afternoon.
Gendarmes on night patrol at Ambodimanary, near Antsohihy, seized twelve sacks holding nearly 200 kg of cannabis after the carriers fled into the dark. No arrests were made, and the sealed load was stored at the Antsohihy brigade pending court-ordered incineration.
Gendarmes and soldiers seized 350.06 kg of cannabis in 25 sacks at Sahambano forest, Ihosy, after traffickers opened fire and fled. Local police seized another 52 kg. No arrests were reported.
