Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
A Colombian notorious drug-smuggler, Salono Cortez Jorge, arrested in Togo last October along with seven other South Americans, is about to be extradited to the US by the Togolese government.
The Togolese Anti-Drugs and Narcotic squad raided a spot where the Colombians were preparing to fly into Europe from an airport in northern Togo. A total of 500 kg of cocaine was seized in the raid.
Cortez is accused of being the senior member of a Colombian drug smuggling gang and is wanted in several countries. The US Drug Enforcement Agency had requested his extradition from the Togolese authorities.
According to the UN, West Africa has become a major zone for South American drug traffickers on the route to Europe. But experts say authorities of these sub-Saharan nations are not adequately assisted to combat this highly-sophisticated drug network.
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