Douala Customs intercepts 70kg of drugs worth FCFA 2 billion at airport

Cameroon’s Minister Delegate for Finance, Yaouba Abdoulaye, on Thursday, April 17, 2025 revealed that customs authorities at Douala International Airport had intercepted two drug shipments, totaling 70 kilograms. 

The drugs, a mixture of methamphetamines, ephedrine, and cocaine, were concealed in air compressors shipped from South Africa. 

They were carried by a RwandAir flight and were hidden in 13 air pumps that had been carefully modified to evade detection. 

The estimated market value of the drugs is over $3 million, or nearly CFA 2 billion. The seized drugs are currently sealed in the customs warehouse while awaiting transfer to the appropriate judicial authorities. 

"The legal procedures are being followed in accordance with the applicable laws," Abdoulaye stated. 

This seizure is the first major drug bust of 2025 at Douala airport and is considered one of the largest in recent years.

As a reminder, on May 30, 2024, customs intercepted 24 kg of cocaine from São Paulo, Brazil, valued at around $2 million (CFA1 billion). 

Earlier in February 2024, 15 kg of cocaine was seized in a shipment from Turkish Airlines, worth an estimated CFA 600 million. 

Since 2016, there has been a growing trend of drug and illicit product seizures at Cameroon’s international airports, particularly in Douala and Yaoundé-Nsimalen. 

This increase is partly due to the gradual establishment of anti-trafficking units at several of the country’s airport platforms, aimed at strengthening efforts to combat transnational trafficking.

SBBC/ KNews

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Minister Delegate for Finance, Yaouba Abdoulaye