A 22-year-old Brazilian man, Ryan Gabriel Gomes Montoril, has been arrested at Banjul International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle thousands of ecstasy pills into The Gambia.
According to officials from the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), Montoril was apprehended last Tuesday by agents from the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) shortly after arriving from Brussels on a Royal Air Maroc flight. Authorities say he was found in possession of 16,190 ecstasy tablets, which were concealed in a black travel bag.
Ousman Saidybah, spokesperson for the DLEAG, confirmed the arrest and noted that investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the smuggling attempt.
In a separate but similar case, DLEAG operatives stationed at the Amdalai border crossing arrested Abdoulie Faye, a 26-year-old Senegalese resident of Kaolack. He was caught with 100 ecstasy pills hidden in a yellow nylon bag.
Both men remain in custody as authorities continue to probe the incidents.
