The Karang branch of the National Division for Combating Illegal Migrant Trafficking (DNLT) carried out a resounding raid, arresting sixteen would-be illegal migrants and the alleged smuggler, the headmaster of the Betenty 1 primary school. The incident took place on Friday, September 19, 2025, at around 11 p.m.

Acting on information provided by an anonymous source, the sleuths of the surveillance, arrest, and tracking brigade of the DNLT branch in Karang conducted a major operation at the fishing dock in the village of Missirah. Sixteen would-be illegal immigrants and a man identified as O. Seydi were arrested. Seydi was preparing to smuggle the group to the island village of Betenty aboard a pirogue, taking advantage of the darkness to evade inspections, according to Seneweb sources close to the prosecutor's office.

A well-organized network

Initial interrogations revealed the extent of the criminal organization. The majority of the candidates arrested were Gambian nationals. They claimed to have been recruited by compatriots who had remained in Gambia and that they had paid their financial contribution to organizers O. Sarr and A. Ndour, who reside in Betenty and are presented as the masterminds of this smuggling network.

The role of the school principal

The investigation took an unexpected turn with the involvement of O. Seydi, the principal of Betenty 1 Primary School, who lives in Missirah. The candidates revealed that the organizers had given them the principal's phone number as a trusted contact. His mission: to receive them in the village of Missirah, located in the commune of Toubacouta, about ten kilometers from Karang, and facilitate their continued journey to Betenty, where the organizers had arranged to meet them.

Overwhelming evidence

Faced with the accusations, O. Seydi initially denied any involvement, claiming that his number had been shared without his knowledge and that he was not informed of the planned clandestine trip.

However, the in-depth investigation uncovered compromising evidence that ultimately led to his conviction. The investigations revealed troubling links between the suspect and the smuggling network. It was established that A. Seydi, the school principal's son, and a nephew of his wife had benefited from a free trip to Europe last year, organized by the O. Sarr-A. Ndour duo, as part of a similar operation.

The exploitation of his cell phone proved decisive. Investigators discovered compromising WhatsApp conversations with a candidate identified by the initials IS and his friend, revealing his recruitment and facilitation activities. Faced with this irrefutable evidence, O. Seydi finally admitted to having been aware of the project since April.

Regarding the financial aspects of the operation, the school principal attempted to downplay his role. He maintained that the IS candidates and his friend had directly paid their money to the organizers, denying having personally received any sums from the migrants. He also revealed that the organizers had offered him a place in the canoe, which he had made available free of charge to one of his nephews.

Following the investigation, O. Seydi was presented to the financial prosecutor at the Dakar High Court on Monday, September 22, 2025. He is being prosecuted for complicity in attempted migrant smuggling and criminal conspiracy.