Police in The Gambia say their Anti-Crime Unit in Barra, about eight kilometres north of Banjul, intercepted 30 people during an early morning operation in the North Bank Region.

The patrol, carried out on Saturday in collaboration with the Gambia Immigration Department, followed intelligence reports of suspicious movements in the Niumi Lamin area. Officers say several individuals fled, but 30 suspects were apprehended and taken to Essau Model Police Station for screening.

Preliminary checks indicate those intercepted include nationals from The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and Côte d’Ivoire. Individuals identified as migrants have since been handed over to immigration officials in Barra for further action.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to track down agents suspected of facilitating irregular migration, reaffirming their commitment to dismantling such networks and protecting lives.

From Banjul, our correspondent Sang Donal Mendy reports.