Senegal: Over 20 billion counterfeit francs seized since the beginning of 2025

Since the beginning of 2025, Senegalese security services, represented by customs, police, and gendarmerie, have seized more than 20 billion CFA francs (over $34 million) in black and counterfeit banknotes across the country.

According to official statement by the Senegalese security services, that since the beginning of 2025, reported that the most notable seizures occurred on the night of May 1-2, when a mobile customs unit in Pikine, a suburb of Dakar, seized €10 million in black banknotes (about 6.65 billion CFA francs), in addition to $1.5 million (about 868 million CFA francs), as two individuals were subsequently arrested.

Senegalese customs unit also seized 4,700 500 Euro banknotes in Sélinkine on May 15, amounting to approximately 1.54 billion CFA francs.

During the same period, an operation carried out in Kaolack, in the country’s central west, led to the arrest of a person posing as a student, who was in possession of 21,000 black banknotes, estimated to be worth more than 3 billion CFA francs.

A week earlier, another batch worth 723 million CFA francs was seized in the West Ivory Coast region of Dakar.

The same source indicated that in total, the Pikine unit alone has intercepted more than 10 billion CFA francs in black banknotes since January.

For its part, Dakar’s urban security forces arrested two foreigners in the Kir Massar area on May 5th, in possession of 50,000 $100 bills, equivalent to approximately $5 million.

According to intelligence information, they were preparing a money laundering operation.

On May 21, police in Thiès arrested two individuals in possession of 400,000 CFA francs and counterfeit 2,000 CFA franc banknotes.

On April 28, 333 million CFA francs in counterfeit currency were seized between the regions of Thiès, Sermange, and Afatik in the west of the country.

On April 23, the Bakir Masar Gendarmerie dismantled a workshop manufacturing counterfeit banknote, and four people were arrested.

The following day, another operation resulted in the seizure of 600 grams of cannabis, which the agency considered confirmation of the link between counterfeiting and drug trafficking.

During 2024, Senegal seized large quantities of cocaine, including more than 60 kilograms during the past two months of June and July.

In August of the same year, Senegalese authorities also seized more than 800 kilograms of cocaine coming from Mali.