Senegalese Gendarmerie arrests 173 irregular migrants in Saloum Delta

On 31 July and 1 August 2026, Senegalese gendarmes carried out two coordinated operations in the Saloum Delta to stop irregular migration to Europe. The first raid in the Bossinkang forest of Toubacouta detained 36 people awaiting departure, while a second night‑time sweep in Fandiongue uncovered a hidden 18‑metre pirogue and arrested 137 migrants and the three boat captains.

In total, 173 individuals were seized – 116 men, 15 women and six children – comprising 104 Senegalese nationals and migrants from Mali, Gambia and Guinea. Security forces also confiscated the boat, two 40‑horsepower outboard engines and 238 fuel canisters (about 4 760 litres) intended for the crossing.

The operations underscore the gendarmerie’s intensified effort to disrupt smuggling networks operating from the mangrove‑lined coastal zones of Senegal.