Dakar suspect dies in police custody following drug arrest

A suspect arrested for crack cocaine trafficking died in police custody in Dakar on the morning of Saturday, October 10, 2026. The individual was apprehended during an anti-drug operation conducted by the Office Central de Répression du Trafic Illicite des Stupéfiants (OCRTIS) in the Yoff district, where two individuals were detained with 28 crack stones.

The suspect was held at the Unit 15 police station and was found unresponsive in his cell around 4:00 a.m. Although firefighters evacuated him to a hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate the cause of death was an acute subcircumferential myocardial infarction, associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a cardiac liver. Toxicological and histopathological samples have been taken to further clarify the medical circumstances. An investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the death, and the Senegalese National Police have offered condolences to the family.