Connections with the cocoa networks at the port of Abidjan are also possible, particularly as regards shipping north the sacks of marijuana that arrive in cocoa consignments. Guinean traders apparently play an important part in these networks, which appears to confirm that they have close ties with the networks in C te d'Ivoire. Marijuana travels inside bales of fresh kola nuts. These are extremely difficult to check by the authorities because opening them causes the nuts to oxidize and spoiled quickly. Because kola nuts are a highly valued commodity both socially and culturally, few customs and police officers are willing to commit such sacrilege.
Cocaine arrives from South America both by sea and air.
Furthermore, C te d'Ivoire is one of the few West African countries where the presence of Latin American traffickers has been reported. Thus in 1995, a Colombian and an Argentine were arrested on cocaine trafficking charges. The police also keep an eye on Lebanese nationals who shuttle between Brazil and C te d'Ivoire on a frequent basis. Seizures of both heroin and cocaine fluctuating between a few hundred grams and a few kilo are far from representing the actual scale of trafficking activities. Rather, they betray the inefficiency of the police and its corruption.