Record 2 tons of drugs seized in Ivory Coast

DAKAR, Senegal

The Ivory Coast Interior Ministry said Sunday it seized the largest amount of drugs ever in the country.

Two tons were seized at the port city of San Pedro, it said in a statement.

Nine suspects, including foreign nationals, were arrested.

Although drug trafficking is not common in the Ivory Coast, huge amounts have been seized recently in West Africa.

The region, which has many countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, plays a key role in trafficking from Latin America to Europe because of its sea access.

About 40,000 tons of drugs are trafficked every year in the region, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).