MINUSMA/Marco Dormino

Firearms trafficking is a lucrative business

During an operation coordinated by Interpol and UNODC in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Niger in early December,  illicit firearms, ammunition and explosives were seized, This has disrupted the trafficking networks used to supply terrorists in West Africa and the Sahel.

Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched Operation KAFO II from 30 November to 6 December. This operation was made possible thanks to the support of Germany, France, Italy and the European Union. It allowed agents on the ground to target smuggling hotspots at airports, seaports and land borders in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Niger.

Officers screened more than 12,000 people, vehicles, containers and goods in international criminal databases and conducted field searches to determine whether the suspects were using stolen travel documents, were known to the police services of any of Interpol's 194 member countries, or were travelling in a stolen vehicle.

In addition to the arrest of a number of suspected terrorists, the police seized firearms and a whole series of illicit goods such as 50 firearms, 40,593 sticks of dynamite, 28 detonating cords, 6,162 rounds of ammunition, 1,473 kilos of drugs (cannabis and khat), 2,263 boxes of contraband medicines and  60,000 litres of smuggled fuel

FIREARMS TRAFFICKING IS A LUCRATIVE TRADE THAT, IN TURN, FUELS AND FINANCES OTHER TYPES OF SERIOUS CRIMES – JÜRGEN STOCK, INTERPOL SECRETARY GENERAL

"Operation KAFO II shows the need to link criminal cases involving firearms to terrorists in different countries," said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

The operation mobilized more than 260 officers from the police, gendarmerie, national commissions for the control of small arms and light weapons, customs and airport anti-trafficking units, as well as border services and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the four countries.

"The fight against illicit trafficking in firearms requires strong international and inter-agency cooperation to identify the source of these weapons and bring the perpetrators to justice," said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.

"After the operational phase of KAFO II, it is important that UNODC and Interpol continue to work together and support ongoing investigations and open cases," she added.

New trends in terrorist financing

Since trafficking in firearms is often associated with other forms of smuggling, Operation KAFO II has also focused on disrupting the flow of other types of illicit goods used to finance criminal and terrorist activities in the region.

Among the new trends observed during this second edition of Operation KAFO is the seizure of smuggled gasoline in large quantities in Niger and Mali. It is believed that the gasoline originated in Nigeria and was trafficked to finance and supply the terrorist group Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

In addition, more than 40,000 sticks of dynamite and detonators have been seized in several locations, all destined for illegal gold mining, which is a new source of funding, and even a recruiting ground, for armed terrorist groups in the Sahel.

Finally, in the context of the current Covid-19 health crisis, agents have also seized large quantities of hand sanitizing gels, gloves and contraband medicines, whose market is flourishing.

Information Collection and Analysis

Pre-operational training provided jointly by Interpol and UNODC ensured that officers had the skills required to use Interpol's operational capabilities to their full potential, and ensured that criminal justice systems were equipped with the necessary tools. necessary to ensure the follow-up of ongoing cases and post-operational investigations.

Officers were trained in the use of Interpol's Illicit Weapons Registry and Tracing System (iARMS) to detect, identify and trace illicit firearms.

Thanks to iARMS, several hundred firearms recovered from the four countries over the past year have been identified and traced back to countries of manufacture or last known legal importation in order to track their ownership history. and their movements. By collecting this crime intelligence prior to the operation, participating countries were able to better target suspects, networks and hotspots of firearms trafficking.

Investigations are underway following the seizures, for which it is essential to trace the history and ownership of all illicit firearms recovered in order to build a strong case for prosecution.

UNODC is working with police and prosecutorial services to support the proper follow-up of these cases, including through enhanced international cooperation using the full range of tools provided by the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (CTO) and the Firearms Protocol.