The fight against illicit trafficking has just reached a major milestone in Duékoué. On Monday, March 23, 2026, the national gendarmerie dismantled a large network distributing prohibited goods in the Antenne district.

An impressive record

The operation carried out at the home of a suspected wholesaler resulted in the seizure of a colossal stockpile:

1. Approximately 70 tonnes of falsified and inferior quality medicines (street medicines).
2. Two suitcases full of cannabis .

Two individuals were arrested during this raid: Ouédraogo Karidjadou , suspected of being the hub of this trafficking, and Touré Nassirou , of Nigerien nationality.

The youth of Duékoué were the ones who raised the alarm.

This operational success is above all a result of active citizenship. Fed up with the rise in thefts and road accidents linked to drug use, the city's youth decided to break the code of silence.

“We asked the traffickers to leave because our youth are dying, but they didn’t listen. So we took responsibility by informing the gendarmerie,” explained Sîh Timité , the municipal youth president.

The gendarmerie is calling for collective vigilance.

The seized goods, including large quantities of tramadol , were placed under seal at the gendarmerie brigade to serve as evidence. An officer involved in the operation praised the cooperation of the local population while reminding them that these substances fuel local crime.

The investigation is actively continuing in order to identify any other possible caches and to dismantle the ramifications of this network in the region.