IN a significant legal development, Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, the son of Guinea-Bissau’s late president, has been handed a prison sentence of over six years by a US court for orchestrating an international heroin trafficking operation.
Sanha Jr, aged 52, allegedly masterminded the trafficking ring with intentions to utilise the proceeds to fuel his aspirations for the presidency of Guinea-Bissau through a coup, according to authorities.
FBI agent Douglas Williams emphasised the gravity of Sanha Jr’s actions, stating, ‘He is the son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau and was trafficking drugs for a very specific reason – to fund a coup that would eventually lead him to the presidency of his native country where he planned to establish a drug regime.’
Sanha Jr’s involvement in a failed coup attempt in February 2022 further complicated his legal predicament. Following his arrest in Tanzania, he was extradited to the United States in August 2022 to face trial.
During his trial, which commenced soon after his extradition, Sanha Jr admitted guilt to conspiring to illegally import drugs, shedding light on his role in the elaborate drug smuggling scheme.
Reports suggest that Sanha Jr, also known as ‘Bacaizinho’ in Guinea-Bissau, held various governmental positions, including serving as his father’s economic adviser.
The 52-year-old’s connection to the foiled 2022 coup attempt against President Umaro Sissoco Embaló underscores the political turmoil gripping Guinea-Bissau. Sanha Jr allegedly confessed to providing financial support to the coup plotters using proceeds from drug trafficking, according to undercover agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Guinea-Bissau has long grappled with drug trafficking, earning it the infamous title of a ‘narco-state’ by the US and the UN over a decade ago. The country serves as a crucial route for cocaine transit from Latin America to Europe.
Experts highlight the pervasive influence of drug traffickers within Guinea-Bissau’s government, often financing political campaigns to ensure protection of their illicit activities, further exacerbating the nation’s political instability.