Cape Verde Hospital Director and Police Arrested in Drug Bust
In a major blow to organized crime in Cape Verde, the Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested 20 individuals on Tuesday, including high-ranking public officials and law enforcement officers, as part of a sweeping drug trafficking investigation.
High-Profile Arrests Shake the Capital
Among those taken into custody is Odair Carvalho, the Director and Chairman of the Board of the Agostinho Neto University Hospital (HUAN), the nation’s primary medical facility in Praia. Carvalho had been appointed to the role by government decree just two months ago.
The operation also targeted the ranks of those sworn to uphold the law. Sources within the Judiciary Police confirmed that four National Police officers and five prison guards are among the 20 detainees. The suspects are scheduled to appear in court today for their initial judicial interrogation, where a judge will determine bail conditions and other coercive measures.
A Widening Investigation
Local media outlets report that these arrests are an extension of “Operation Shark,” a major sting conducted by the PJ in July. That initial phase resulted in 12 arrests and uncovered an alleged drug trafficking network with significant international connections.
The archipelago of Cape Verde, situated off the coast of West Africa, has long been a strategic transit point for narcotics moving between South America and Europe. This latest crackdown signals an intensifying effort by the government to root out corruption within state institutions that facilitates such trade.
New Leadership at the Helm
The arrests come just months after Jacqueline Semedo took over as the Director of the Judiciary Police in August. Upon her appointment, Semedo pledged a “firm, responsible, and demanding” leadership style, specifically identifying the dismantling of transnational organized crime and drug trafficking as her administration’s top priorities.
As the investigation continues, the involvement of hospital leadership and multiple security officers has raised serious concerns regarding the depth of criminal infiltration in the capital.
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