Libreville: a Beninese passenger detained with banned ritual objects
The services of the Tourist Surveillance Brigade and Gabonese Customs announced the arrest, on the night of Saturday, September 20, of a Beninese passenger at Léon-Mba International Airport.
According to official statements and local media, the discovery was made during a routine check carried out on arrival of a flight operated by the company Camair-Co. Agents reportedly uncovered a substantial batch of esoteric objects carefully wrapped, the nature of which prompted their immediate seizure.
Identified as Dominique Hounye Houngbonon, the traveler from Cotonou was carrying in his luggage several bags containing fetishes and ritual objects prohibited from entering Gabonese territory.
Sources close to the operation indicate that this case may not be isolated. Other passengers from Benin were also reportedly detained during the same checks. Part of the seized items has already been incinerated by the authorities, who cited health, regulatory, and public order reasons.
Images released on the official Customs channels and picked up by the local press notably show the suspect’s passport, his personal effects, and the confiscated bags.
For now, the police and customs services have not commented on the legal actions to be taken against the people detained. Observers nevertheless believe this case could lead to a temporary tightening of customs controls on air links between Cotonou and Libreville.
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