The Ziguinchor Regional Branch of the National Division for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Related Practices (DNLT) successfully dismantled a major organized criminal network involved in international human trafficking on November 20, 2025.

🔎 The Modus Operandi Revealed by an Escape

The investigation was triggered following the poignant testimony of a young Sierra Leonean woman who presented herself to the DNLTMPA on November 17, 2025.

1. The Recruitment: The victim had been recruited via Facebook by the Organizer of the network, under the false promise of a domestic job in Senegal.
2. The Transfer and the Sale: Driven from Sierra Leone to Ziguinchor, she was met by the Organizer's partner. A few days later, two Nigerian women appeared and literally bought the victim for 300,000 FCFA .
3. The Exploitation: The victim was then taken to a camp in Bignona, where she was subjected to ritualistic intimidation practices and threatened to force her into prostitution and to repay a forced debt of 2,000,000 FCFA .
4. The Escape: Despite the threat, the young woman managed to escape, thus allowing the investigation to begin.

⛓️ Network Structure and Confessions

The investigations uncovered a structured criminal organization operating a triangular trafficking operation between Sierra Leone, Guinea-Conakry and Senegal .

The successive interrogations made it possible to identify and clarify the roles of the six members of the group:

Role in the Network	Main Function
The Organizer	Recruitment of victims in Sierra Leone and organization of their sale.
The Companion	Accommodation for victims and facilitation of their reception in Ziguinchor.
The Financial Manager	Funding for all criminal operations.
The person in charge of the transfer	Responsible for transfers to operating sites and intimidation practices.
Two other members	Involved in the recruitment and exploitation of victims.

During his interrogation, the Companion confessed that nearly fifteen young girls had already been "sold" by the Organizer for 300,000 FCFA each. Confronted with the evidence, the Organizer admitted to being primarily responsible.

Following these arrests, two other victims also came forward to denounce their exploitation by other members of the network.

⚖️ Legal Proceedings and Call for Vigilance

Following the investigations, the six identified members of the network were brought before the Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Ziguinchor .

The National Police reiterates its ongoing commitment to protecting the public. It encourages the public to report any useful information concerning similar or suspicious incidents by contacting the toll-free number: 800 00 17 00 .