By Seedy Jobe
The Gambia Immigration Department said on Thursday that an armed man in military-style camouflage disrupted an operation to intercept a boat carrying suspected irregular migrants off the coast of Kartong, in what authorities described as a troubling escalation in migrant-smuggling tactics.
According to the department, officers from the Tanji Immigration Border Patrol Unit, working under the Kartong Immigration Post, were carrying out an intelligence-led operation early Thursday when they approached a vessel roughly four kilometers offshore. The boat, officials said, held a large group of migrants, two outboard engines, and a man dressed in a camouflage uniform and armed with a rifle.
The individual is believed to have been providing security for the migrants and those coordinating the smuggling attempt, the immigration service said in a statement.
Faced with the armed presence, the patrol team withdrew “in line with operational safety guidelines” and requested reinforcement from the Gambian Navy, the statement said. Naval personnel from Kartong, supported by a unit in Gunjur, deployed four armed officers to assist. But by the time the joint team returned to the scene, the migrants had already departed, according to local fishermen who witnessed the events.
The department said the incident reflects an “alarming evolution” in the methods used by migrant-smuggling networks and warned of heightened risks to law-enforcement personnel. It reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward migrant smuggling and urged stronger community cooperation to combat what it called a “growing menace.”
In a separate statement, the Gambian Armed Forces confirmed that naval personnel responded promptly to the request for support but arrived after the boat had left Gambian waters. The military also used the occasion to renew its warning against the unauthorized use of military uniforms and equipment, stressing that such acts could be misinterpreted as hostile intent.
“The Gambia Armed Forces has consistently warned against the unauthorized use of military paraphernalia,” the statement said. “Such actions could quickly be interpreted as hostile intent when encountered by security personnel, with attendant consequences.”
The military said it remains committed to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and security, pledging to act “swiftly and decisively” against threats and to maintain vigilance against attempts to misuse the identity or authority of the armed forces.
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