As part of the relentless fight against trafficking in psychoactive substances, the Republican Police carried out a major raid in Sèmè-Podji.
Overnight from Saturday, September 6 to Sunday, September 7, 2025, officers from the district police station intercepted 511 kilograms of cannabis carefully packaged.
Acting on information deemed reliable, a response team moved into the area around Sèmè-Podji beach, a zone often used by smuggling networks. There, officers discovered makeshift shelters serving as hideouts for traffickers.
The operation led to the seizure of fourteen large sacks of psychoactive substances, compressed into balls and methodically concealed.
However, the speed of the law enforcement response was not enough to apprehend the suspects. Alerted, they fled by sea aboard canoes. According to the first information gathered, the illicit goods were destined for local consumption as well as export to a neighboring country.
The 511 kg of cannabis were transported to the Sèmè-Podji precinct police station for standard procedures. This seizure confirms the determination of the Republican Police to increase pressure on criminal networks and to choke off trafficking channels that thrive along Benin’s coastline.