The son of Guinea-Bissau’s former president has received a sentence exceeding six years from a US court for orchestrating an international heroin trafficking operation. Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, aged 52, allegedly masterminded the endeavor with the intention of financing his bid for Guinea-Bissau’s presidency through a coup, as per authorities.
Sanha Jr, offspring of Malam Bacai Sanha who governed the West African nation from 2009 until his demise in 2012, has been implicated in a thwarted coup in February 2022. Following his apprehension in Tanzania and subsequent extradition to the US in August 2022, his trial commenced, during which he pleaded guilty in September of the previous year to charges related to conspiring to illicitly import narcotics.
Highlighting the significance of the case, FBI agent Douglas Williams remarked, “Malam Bacai Sanha Jr wasn’t any ordinary international drug trafficker.” Williams emphasized that Sanha Jr’s familial ties and strategic objectives underscored the gravity of his criminal activities.
Accusations against Sanha Jr include the importation of heroin from various countries into Portugal and the United States. US authorities have indicated the possibility of his deportation post-incarceration, citing his non-American citizenship.
Referred to as “Bacaizinho” in Guinea-Bissau, Sanha Jr has held several governmental positions, including that of economic adviser during his father’s tenure. Reports suggest his alleged involvement in the failed 2022 coup aimed at overthrowing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, resulting in casualties among security personnel.
Sanha Jr purportedly disclosed to undercover agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) his utilization of drug profits to finance the coup plot, according to German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Guinea-Bissau has garnered infamy as a focal point for drug trafficking, particularly as a conduit for cocaine transit from Latin America to Europe, prompting designations by both the US and the UN as a “narco-state” over a decade ago. Analysts underscore the entrenched influence of drug traffickers and networks within the country’s government, often wielding significant sway and providing financial backing to sympathetic political candidates.
(AFP)
