Piroguier arrested on Niger River with two cannabis balls
On 22 September 2026, border police on the Niger River at Malanville arrested a boatman after finding two packages of Indian hemp in his luggage. He jumped into the river to escape, was pulled out with help from residents, and was placed in custody while prosecutors opened a trafficking investigation.
On 22 September 2026 at about 2 p.m., officers of the Malanville border police
station arrested a boatman in possession of narcotics.[1]During a routine
check on the border waters, officers carried out a thorough inspection of the
boat and the driver’s luggage.[2]Instead of the expected fish products, the
search found two packages containing carefully hidden balls of Indian hemp.[1]
Seeing his cargo discovered, the boatman immediately jumped into the river to
try to escape from the police by swimming.[1]Thanks to a quick alert and the
active help of riverside residents, officers pulled the man from the water and
ended his escape.[1]
When questioned about the origin of the drugs, the suspect said the parcel had
been entrusted to him by a maize trader based across the border in the Nigerien
city of Gaya.[1]Taken to the police station, he was placed in custody.[1]A
flagrante delicto investigation was opened under the direction of the public
prosecutor to verify those claims, identify the alleged sponsor and dismantle
the branches of this river smuggling network.[1]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Arrested
1
Agency type
Border guard, Police, Prosecutor
Cannabis
Herbal cannabis
Activity
Smuggling, Possession
Setting
Mail or parcel
Case stage
Under investigation
Sources
Bénin Web TVbeninwebtv.bjFRMalanville: un piroguier arrêté sur le fleuve Niger avec deux boules de chanvre indien après une tentative de fuite
Bénin Web TVbeninwebtv.comMalanville: a piroguier arrested on the Niger River with two balls of Indian hemp after an attempted escape
Open questions the AI reported
No weight was published for the two balls or packages, so no kilograms can be recorded.
The suspect's name and age were not published.
No charge or court outcome was reported; the flagrante delicto investigation was still under way.
Only the French original and the same outlet's English version could be opened; no independent second outlet was found.
Police in Houègbo arrondissement detained five people, one of them a woman, in raids on 3 and 6 November 2026 that broke up a suspected counterfeit-money network at Agbotagon. Officers seized 28 sachets of cannabis in the first raid and about 1.5 kg in a shop in the second, alongside counterfeit notes, printing plates and smuggled medicines.
Police arrested a man as he arrived to collect a parcel containing 5.4 kg of suspected cannabis at a Cotonou transport company on 29 September 2026. He said the parcel came from Togo by way of Bassila, and was held while police continued their investigation.
Police in Kétou arrested a burglary suspect in a ghetto in the Obafemi quarter and seized 21.5 kg of cannabis. Officers also seized three motorcycles of doubtful origin and said inquiries into the wider network were continuing.
Police in Porto-Novo arrested a couple at their home in Houssouko on 17 August 2026 and seized suspected cannabis and Tramadol tablets. The husband, a motorcycle-taxi driver, allegedly distributed the drugs while his partner stored and packaged them, and both were held for presentation to the prosecutor.
