The Thiaroye Territorial Brigade, under the Keur Massar Gendarmerie Company, carried out a rescue and arrest operation on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Mbattal beach, following a report of the presence of a boat in an irregular situation.

According to information obtained by Seneweb from Colonel Ibrahima Ndiaye, the vessel in question is a pirogue that left Gambia on January 3, 2026 with more than 200 people of various nationalities on board, as part of an attempt at irregular migration.

Initial findings of the investigation reveal that during the crossing, the pirogue lost its course due to a malfunction in the GPS tracking system. Faced with this critical situation and the loss of life already recorded at sea, the captain reportedly decided to head towards Dakar to minimize the damage.

Upon the arrival of the gendarmes, 61 people were rescued from Mbattal beach. These included 37 Senegalese, 12 Gambians, 4 Ghanaians, 6 Sierra Leoneans, and 2 Guineans. The death of one Ghanaian national was confirmed.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of several fuel drums, an outboard motor, and the dugout canoe used for the crossing. Those arrested were taken into custody for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation to determine responsibility and identify the organizers of this clandestine voyage.

The National Gendarmerie reiterates its commitment to the fight against irregular migration and invites the public to provide any useful information by contacting the freephone numbers 800 00 20 20 or 123.