Senegal authorities dismantle human trafficking ring selling girls for 500,000 CFA francs
Senegalese authorities have dismantled a transnational human trafficking network that exploited young Nigerian girls for prostitution in the Kédougou region.
The operation, led by the National Division for the Fight against Migrant Trafficking and Related Practices (DNLT), took place in the village of Bantaco following intelligence reports about the arrival of two suspected trafficking victims.
According to investigators, the girls had been trafficked by a foreign national and were being forced to make daily payments to repay alleged transportation costs totalling nearly 2 million CFA francs. DNLT officers raided the residence of the prime suspect, where the two girls were discovered alongside the trafficker.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted partial involvement, revealing collaboration with accomplices in Nigeria, Benin, and Senegal. She confessed to having purchased one of the girls for 500,000 CFA francs, while the other had been delivered to her by a Nigerian man from Tenkoto, Dakar Buzz reports.
Evidence collected at the scene included notebooks used for recording the amounts extorted from the victims. According to the entries, one girl had paid nearly 1 million CFA francs, and the other about 792,000 FCFA. The accused claimed that a portion of the funds was used to cover her brother’s medical expenses, with the rest spent on personal needs.
Further investigation revealed a highly organised human trafficking network operating between Lagos (Nigeria), Cotonou (Benin), and various locations across Senegal. The network is believed to handle the recruitment of victims, fabrication of false travel documents, their transportation, and subsequent exploitation.
On May 19, 2025, the suspect was brought before the public prosecutor at a high court of Kédougou. The two victims were placed in the care of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) providing immediate support and rehabilitation services.
