The Ministry of the Interior of Guinea-Bissau announced today that the police have dismantled a network supporting illegal migration, detaining 22 people, mostly from neighboring countries.
Agostinho Djatá, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, explained in a press conference broadcast by local media that the operation, carried out on Monday by various security services, resulted in the arrest of 17 citizens from Guinea-Conakry, four from Mali, and one from Guinea-Bissau.
Among the 17 people from Guinea-Conakry, some were children accompanied by their mothers, Djatá highlighted.
“These children would have been used as shields during these journeys,” said the Ministry spokesperson.
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The operation was led by the Rapid Intervention Police, Migration and Border Services agents, and members of the National Guard Brigade. Djatá praised an anonymous tip from a Guinean citizen that helped trigger the operation.
The Ministry spokesperson encouraged all citizens to report any suspected illegal migration attempts so that security forces can intervene.
During the operation, police also seized sacks of rice, sugar, cooking oil, and fuel, which were believed to be intended for use during the journey. The pirogue used to transport migrants to Spain was also confiscated.
Djatá indicated that there is evidence suggesting that the Guinean citizen arrested in the operation was the “ringleader of the group” in Bissau and acted as a liaison with another accomplice thought to be residing in Spain.
“The investigation continues internally to identify all accomplices and to locate the whereabouts of their contact in Spain,” the spokesperson added.
Djatá noted that the case will need to be resolved diplomatically, as it involves citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries.
By its own decision, Mali left ECOWAS in January 2024, joining Burkina Faso and Niger to create the Sahel States Alliance (AES). Guinea-Bissau is currently suspended from the organization following a military coup in November 2025.
