CRIET: police and customs officers prosecuted for smuggling tropical products in Tchaourou acquitted
The Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) on Thursday, December 18, 2025, acquitted all the police officers and customs officials arrested in a case involving trafficking of tropical products in Kassouala.
Sixteen police and customs officers were charged over their alleged involvement in trafficking tropical products, notably soy and cashews, found in several trucks parked near the border with Nigeria.
The defendants faced charges such as “abuse of office” and “money laundering,” with the public prosecutor seeking up to 24 months in prison for some of them.
But after the proceedings, the chamber judge found that doubts remained about the material existence of the alleged offenses. As a result, he decided to acquit all those accused, including the head of the Kassouala customs post, the local police commissioner and fourteen other officers. This decision led to the immediate release of the defendants who had previously been held in pretrial detention.
The case began with the discovery of trucks loaded with agricultural products in a park in Kassouala, which raised suspicions of illicit cross-border trade. The prosecution had pushed for harsh penalties before the trial, but the CRIET ultimately found that the evidence against the officers was insufficient to establish their guilt.
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