Niger Foils Major Cross-Border Trafficking Operation in Gaya

On October 9, 2025, Nigerien authorities conducted a high-profile border security operation in Gaya, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of narcotics and hazardous materials.

Officials recovered 67.7 kilograms of cannabis resin, 37,700 diazepam tablets, and 37 containers of mercury, highlighting the growing diversification of transnational criminal networks. Forensic analysis traced the cannabis to Morocco, the diazepam to unregulated manufacturers in India, and the mercury to industrial sources in Nigeria.

The mercury seizure is particularly alarming due to its use in illegal gold mining operations across the Sahel. Each container could process roughly 45 kilograms of gold-bearing ore, posing serious environmental and economic risks.

The operation, carried out jointly by Customs and the River Brigade, illustrates improved interagency cooperation, although intelligence sharing remains constrained by technical limitations and institutional rivalries.