Guinea-Bissau Ex-Leader's Son Jailed for Drug Ring Funding Coup
- The son of a past president of Guinea-Bissau, Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, has been incarcerated in the United States.
- Reports indicate that the US Justice Department revealed on Tuesday that Sanha had been sentenced to more than six and a half years in prison.
- The announcement further stated that Sanha played a significant role as a leader and coordinator in the heroin trafficking operation from Europe to the United States.
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Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
The son of Guinea-Bissau's former leader has been sentenced to more than six years in a US court for spearheading a global heroin smuggling operation.
According to officials, Malam Bacai Sanha Jr., 52, allegedly aimed to finance his bid for Guinea-Bissau's presidency via a coup.
Source: Getty Images
He is the progeny of Malam Bacai Sanha, who governed the West African nation from 2009 until his passing in 2012.
As reported by BBC, Sanha Jr. has been associated with an unsuccessful coup attempt in February 2022.
In August 2022, he was sent to the US from Tanzania after being apprehended there a few weeks prior.
His court proceedings commenced shortly after that, and by September of the previous year, he admitted guilty to participating in a scheme to bring drugs into the country unlawfully.
FBI agent Douglas Williams on Tuesday, March 26, said:
"Malam Bacai Sanha Jr wasn't any ordinary international drug trafficker.
"He is the son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau and was trafficking drugs for a very specific reason - to fund a coup that would eventually lead him to the presidency of his native country where he planned to establish a drug regime."
American officials have indicated that Sanha Jr may face deportation after being incarcerated, citing his non-citizen status.
Referred to as "Bacaizinho" in Guinea-Bissau, the 52-year-old has served in various governmental positions, including economic adviser to his father.
Allegedly, he admitted to personal participation in the failed 2022 coup plot aiming to oust President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals, primarily security personnel.
Sanha Jr.'s confession on attempted coup
Last year, according to a report by German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Sanha Jr purportedly confessed to American authorities that he utilised profits from dr*g dealings to finance the individuals plotting a coup.
Guinea-Bissau, known for its significant involvement in drug trafficking, serves as a crucial route for cocaine originating from Latin America and bound for Europe.
Over a decade ago, both the US and the UN labelled it a "narco-state" due to this illicit activity.
Analysts suggest that drug traffickers and their networks wield substantial influence within the government, often backing politicians during elections who ensure protection for their unlawful operations.
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