Burkina Faso’s customs authorities presented the two seizures on 27 October. The explosive sticks were discovered after an accident involving a truck carrying drinks towards Ouagadougou. Customs said the driver tried to conceal the material before being apprehended.
In the second operation, officers following a shipment intercepted 7,500 detonators packed into 75 boxes aboard a passenger bus. Two people were detained. The disclosure places substantial quantities of dangerous material within both commercial freight and public passenger transport.
The truck driver said a contact in Ghana had entrusted him with products for gold miners and that he had not understood their nature. A suspect in the detonator case described buying material in Ghana, taking it through Burkina Faso and selling it in Côte d’Ivoire. Customs director-general Yves Kafando challenged that account’s commercial logic. Authorities did not identify the ultimate buyers or announce charges or court decisions.