Airport Drug Unit Arrests Guinean National with 42 Packs of Suspected Cannabis at Banjul Airport

By Makutu Manneh

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG), says its airport command has arrested a 33-year-old Guinean national, Badieka Drame, after authorities allegedly discovered 42 packs of suspected cannabis ruderalis concealed in a black suitcase at the Banjul International Airport.

In a statement, the agency said Mr. Drame arrived on an SN Brussels Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., transiting through Brussels, before being intercepted on May 10, 2026, in the airport’s arrival hall.

DLEAG officials said the seizure forms part of ongoing enforcement operations targeting narcotics trafficking through the country’s main international gateway.

In a related development, the agency also confirmed the earlier arrest of Samba Bah, a 32-year-old Gambian resident of Kotu East, who was intercepted on April 9, 2026, by customs officers stationed at the airport. He was found in possession of five packs of suspected cannabis ruderalis.

According to the agency, Mr. Bah told investigators that he had received a package from a friend that he believed contained jerseys, not the suspected narcotics.

“According to Samba Bah, a friend sent him a package which was supposed to contain jerseys instead of five (5) packs of suspected cannabis ruderalis (skunk),” the agency stated.

The agency commended the customs officers for what it described as their “swift and timely response,” noting that continued collaboration among border security agencies remains critical in efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Both suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.