Beninese customs service teams, in coordination with the Republican Police, conducted two major operations over the past month to intercept counterfeit medicines and fraudulent cargo. Officials carried out these enforcement actions across the Collines and Donga departments to secure the national borders. Customs Territory Surveillance Office personnel targeted illicit transit routes in Glazoué, Bassila, Ayédon, and Balanka. Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou and Marcellin Laourou oversaw the deployment of units tasked with identifying contraband shipments entering Benin. These seizures reflect ongoing efforts by state authorities to regulate commercial traffic and mitigate the circulation of unauthorized goods. The operations concluded recently, resulting in the confiscation of items found during inspections at various checkpoints.
Seizure of Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals
Customs forces targeted a private property in the Ayédon neighborhood of Glazoué during a raid on 28 October. Officers identified this site as an illegal depot used to store unauthorized goods. The operation resulted in the seizure of nearly two tons of counterfeit pharmaceutical products. Customs Territory Surveillance Office personnel transferred the confiscated materials to secure storage facilities while the investigation continues.
Intercepting Trucks in Bassila
BSTD agents intercepted two trucks carrying cargoes suspected of commercial fraud along the Balanka route in the municipality of Bassila. These vehicles were stopped during a field inspection conducted by customs personnel to identify illicit transit shipments. The operation targeted the transport of goods that had bypassed official declaration protocols required for entry into Benin.
Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou leads the General Directorate of Customs. Under his administrative direction, the agency manages the regulation of commercial traffic and the enforcement of border security measures across the country. The General Directorate of Customs coordinates with the Republican Police to identify fraudulent activity within the national supply chain.
Field units of the customs operations are supervised by Colonel Marcellin Laourou. He oversees the tactical deployment of personnel stationed at various checkpoints in the Collines and Donga departments. Colonel Marcellin Laourou directs the search protocols used by officers to inspect vehicles moving through secondary transit routes. These enforcement actions involve the systematic verification of cargo documents and the seizure of shipments that do not meet legal import standards. The intercepted trucks remain under official custody while investigations into the nature of the fraudulent cargo proceed.
