200 kg of cocaine recovered from mayor's car
Niger police say a local mayor and his driver have been arrested in the desert north of the country. 200 kg of cocaine was recovered from his vehicle.
Two suspects have also been arrested in the case, whose names have not been released. He is accused of transporting the drug to Libya.
The Niger Drug Policy Agency says this is the largest seizure of cocaine in the West African country. It is believed that drug trafficking and arrests by the police are becoming more common in the region.
The Niger Central Office, which is in place to crack down on illicit drug trafficking, said on Wednesday that police were aware that large quantities of cocaine were being smuggled into Libya and that they were following suit.
Nana Ichato, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that according to police, on January 2, 199 bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 214 kg were seized in the Fachi area.
It is reported that the vehicle left Fatchi and headed towards a town in Dirko area of Libya, but was stopped there on Sunday.
Mr Baku said it was the first time in the country's history that such a large consignment of cocaine had been seized. He also said that it was to be delivered further to Europe, where it has an estimated street value of 19 million$.
The mayor and his driver have been taken to the Niger capital, Miami, where they are being questioned.
Fachi is an oasis in the Tenerra Desert, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the town of Agadez. It is known as the center of the salt and palm trade.
The region is used as a gateway for various types of smuggling. Used for drug and human trafficking in South America and Europe.