Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, aged 52, was handed a prison sentence exceeding six years by a US court for orchestrating an extensive heroin trafficking network on an international scale.
Sanha Jr planned to finance his bid for Guinea-Bissau’s presidency through a coup by utilizing the profits gained from drug trafficking, according to authorities.
The son of Malam Bacai Sanha, who served as Guinea-Bissau’s leader from 2009 until his passing in 2012, Sanha Jr was allegedly involved in a failed coup in February 2022.
Following his arrest in Tanzania, the former president’s son was extradited to the US in August 2022.
His trial commenced shortly thereafter, and in September of the same year, he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to unlawfully import drugs.
Speaking on Tuesday, FBI agent Douglas Williams said, “Malam Bacai Sanha Jr wasn’t any ordinary international drug trafficker.
“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.”
Upon completion of his sentence, Sanha Jr, who is not a US citizen, faces potential deportation.
Sanha Jr, also known as “Bacaizinho” in Guinea-Bissau, has held various governmental positions, including serving as his father’s economic adviser.
He reportedly admitted his involvement in the failed 2022 coup attempt aimed at overthrowing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, resulting in the loss of 11 lives, predominantly security force members.
Sanha Jr allegedly confessed to US authorities that he utilized drug profits to finance the coup plotters, as reported by German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle last year.
KanyiDaily recalls that President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló recently paid a private visit to his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu in Lagos State.
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