Cotonou: police raid in Missèkplé, 21 people arrested and significant quantities of Indian hemp seized
During a joint operation carried out on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in the Missèkplé neighborhood (10th district of Cotonou), law enforcement apprehended 21 individuals, including three women, in a ghetto located behind the Sainte-Rita Catholic Church.
Mobilizing officers from the 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th precincts of Cotonou, this action aimed to dismantle a critical point of drug trafficking and consumption. The search conducted at the scene led to the discovery of:
- 423 balls of Indian hemp;
- A bag also containing Indian hemp;
- A batch of presumed counterfeit, toxic, or corrupted pharmaceutical products.
Ongoing fight against drug networks in Cotonou
This operation is part of a strategy to pool the resources of the Republican Police to clean up the neighborhoods of the economic capital.
The Missèkplé sector had previously been the target of a similar crackdown on July 13, 2025, resulting in the arrest of 23 suspects. Likewise, a raid in the neighboring Midédji neighborhood in May 2025 led to the apprehension of 25 individuals.
The arrested individuals and the seized substances have been handed over to the competent judicial authorities for further proceedings.
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