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Police corruption at checkpoint on Dakar to Saint Louis road (N2 near Kébémer)

Seamus69

New member
Nov 7, 2022
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3
A warning to anyone travelling by car near Kébémer on the N2 road between Dakar and Saint Louis.

Last Thursday (3rd Nov 2022), myself and two travelling companions were travelling by car near Kébémer when stopped at a police checkpoint.

Two police officers searched our bags and found packets of cigarettes (bought at Lisbon airport) and the end of a bottle of gin (bought at a supermarket in Dakar earlier that week). The police told us it was illegal to have more than two packs of cigarettes or a bottle of alcohol with us and said we had to pay a fine. They asked us for 200,000 CFA – so we had to give them all our remaining CFA plus a few euros to make up the equivalent of 200,000 CFA. We knew at the time that what was happening was not normal procedure, but we did not dispute them as we wanted to complete our trip without incident.

We still loved our trip to Senegal and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it despite our incident!
 
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TimCullis

New member
Jun 17, 2023
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Spain and London
I do hope you understand that I won't be sympathetic about this. You knew it was corruption and handing over such a massive amount of money just increases the likelihood that they will do it again to other travellers.

A few years back I was travelling by motorbike on that same road south of St Louis with two other bikers I had met a day earlier. We were stopped at a military checkpoint and told to pull over a couple of metres to the side of the road, which we did. After handing over our passports for inspection the soldier told us we had committed an infraction by not using our indicators when pulling over and the fine was €30 each. We told the soldier we wouldn't pay.

He retreated to his hut holding our passports hostage. We discussed what to do. One of the other bikers said he would go and talk to him, walked into the hut where the soldier was on the opposite side of a desk with our passports on the desk. The biker swooped on the passports, walked out and handed them back to us whereupon we put them inside our jackets. The soldier ran out ranting and raving but we ignored him, started the engines, and just before we were about to set off the soldier said (to avoid losing face), "You can leave." Result: no payment.

Coming back solo a couple of weeks later, I came across the same checkpoint with a different soldier on duty. The soldier told me to pull over to the side of the road, so I indicated and did so. He didn't know what to do as I has interrupted his script! The soldier proceeded to inspect the bike, check all the lights were working, etc., despite cars falling to pieces passing by without inspection. Result: no payment.

You shouldn't be scared of facing down corrupt police and soldiers. And even if they don't speak good English they all know the word 'corruption' which is the same in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish... In addition, I always make a point of having the telephone number of the local British Consulate (Consulat Britannique) in my phone when travelling (+221 33 868 60 31 for Senegal). The police and military aren't about to shoot you for a bung, and will just move on to easier targets.
 
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hotjobshere

New member
Sep 8, 2023
1
0
1
I do hope you understand that I won't be sympathetic about this. You knew it was corruption and handing over such a massive amount of money just increases the likelihood that they will do it again to other travellers.

A few years back I was travelling by motorbike on that same road south of St Louis with two other bikers I had met a day earlier. We were stopped at a military checkpoint and told to pull over a couple of metres to the side of the road, which we did. After handing over our passports for inspection the soldier told us we had committed an infraction by not using our indicators when pulling over and the fine was €30 each. We told the soldier we wouldn't pay.

He retreated to his hut holding our passports hostage. We discussed what to do. One of the other bikers said he would go and talk to him, walked into the hut where the soldier was on the opposite side of a desk with our passports on the desk. The biker swooped on the passports, walked out and handed them back to us whereupon we put them inside our jackets. The soldier ran out ranting and raving but we ignored him, started the engines, and just before we were about to set off the soldier said (to avoid losing face), "You can leave." Result: no payment.

Coming back solo a couple of weeks later, I came across the same checkpoint with a different soldier on duty. The soldier told me to pull over to the side of the road, so I indicated and did so. He didn't know what to do as I has interrupted his script! The soldier proceeded to inspect the bike, check all the lights were working, etc., despite cars falling to pieces passing by without inspection. Result: no payment.

You shouldn't be scared of facing down corrupt police and soldiers. And even if they don't speak good English they all know the word 'corruption' which is the same in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish... In addition, I always make a point of having the telephone number of the local British Consulate (Consulat Britannique) in my phone when travelling (+221 33 868 60 31 for Senegal). The police and military aren't about to shoot you for a bung, and will just move on to easier targets.
Timcullis, you're absolutely right! Standing up against corruption is the first step to change. Your passport-swipe ninja move is legendary! 💪✨ And keeping the British Consulate on speed dial is a power move. Let's all be travelers who inspire positive change! 🌍