Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Operatives of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG) stationed in Kwinella, Lower River Region (LRR), in collaboration with personnel of The Gambia Police Force (GPF), have intercepted a large consignment of medicinal products over irregularities in documentation and possible diversion.
The consignment, comprising 125 boxes of pharmaceutical products, was seized during a routine vehicle search at Kwinella on Friday, 19 September 2025, at around 21:00 hours.
According to DLEAG, the consignment was being transported in a commercial vehicle, a Sprinter van with registration number WCR 5062 B, destined for Kaur in the Central River Region.
Officers at the checkpoint requested the driver to provide documentation for the medicines but observed inconsistencies between his account, the claims of the accompanying agent, and the official permit presented.
This raised suspicions of possible illicit transport or diversion, prompting officers to flag the vehicle for further inspection and escort it to DLEAG’s field office in Bijilo.
Subsequent checks by DLEAG personnel and staff of the Medicine Control Agency (MCA) revealed that the permit presented at the checkpoint was issued to a recipient named Malick Sall and did not include a full inventory of the drugs on board.
The vehicle was carrying pharmaceutical products belonging to two different individuals, Malick Sall and Lahat Sylla.
Lahat Sylla owned most of the consignment, but his official export permit was not with the driver and was only forwarded in PDF format after the interception.
Some of the goods were not listed in the official permit, pointing to misdeclaration, unauthorized distribution, and possible diversion of medicines.
DLEAG’s Scientific Unit confirmed that no prohibited or controlled drugs were among the consignment.
However, the presence of unpermitted medicines and incomplete documentation triggered regulatory concerns.
The agency described the operation as a demonstration of the “swift response and collaborative partnership” between DLEAG and MCA to strengthen controls on drugs and prevent the diversion of medications and controlled substances.
The recipients, agent, and driver—along with the 125 boxes of medicines—have been handed over to the MCA, the competent national authority for regulating medicines and related products, for further investigation and necessary action.
