Angolan drug baron arrested in Maputo, second major drug trafficker found in Mozambique in three years

In April 2020, SERNIC had detained Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos, known as “Fuminho,” one of Brazil's most dangerous traffickers. These arrests underscore Mozambique's role as a key entry, transit, and consumption point for drugs from Brazil, other South American countries, and Asia.

According to a SERNIC report accessed by Torre, the Angolan was serving a sentence passed in 2017 for international drug trafficking, entailing over ten years in prison. The detainee possessed various identification documents from Mozambique, Brazil, Namibia, and the Seychelles, all bearing different names and, in some cases, different photographs.

SERNIC highlighted that this case might also involve document forgery and that legal proceedings are underway for the man's extradition. 

This arrest follows the 2020 apprehension of “Fuminho” and reinforces Mozambique's status as a hub for drug trafficking, a fact supported by national and foreign researchers. 

In 2010, an influential businessman linked to the ruling Frelimo party, Momade Bachir Sulemane, was identified by the United States as a drug baron. More recently, a Frelimo parliamentary member, sitting on the Permanent Commission, has been implicated in drug trafficking. This revelation followed the arrests of a teacher and a military officer involved in drug trafficking in Macuse.  

The military officer, who owned two motorboats frequently used in offshore drug transshipment operations to the port of Macuse, was convicted, while the teacher was acquitted. However, the drug owners were never identified. 

There is a growing perception that drug trafficking thrives due to the involvement of elites connected to the ruling party, Frelimo, indicating a deep-rooted issue within the state apparatus.

TORRE