At least two tonnes of cocaine¹ with a street value estimated at $1bn has been seized in The Gambia, bound for Europe.

冈比亚警方截获至少两吨、黑市价达10亿美元的可卡因，据悉这批可卡因计划销往欧洲。

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West Africa has become a major transit hub for drugs to Europe

In addition to the huge haul（捕获量） of drugs, the Gambian authorities have arrested a dozen suspected traffickers, and seized large quantities of cash and arms.

Gambian investigators⁴ made the first arrests then called in British agents to gather forensic⁵（辩论的，法庭的） evidence.

West Africa has become a major transit hub for trafficking Latin American drugs to markets in Europe.

Drugs cartels are taking advantage of the region's poverty and weak security and judicial⁶ systems（司法制度） .

Agents from the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency - the rough equivalent of the US FBI - helped discover the haul of highly concentrated cocaine behind a false wall in a warehouse⁷ basement an hour's drive from the Gambian capital, Banjul.

Numerous revealing computer records were also found.

One investigator³ closely involved told the BBC: "We're excited about this one - we've got all the elements here."

The BBC's Mark Doyle in Banjul says some of the Gambian officers involved in the bust⁸ are clearly pleased, if saying nothing in public for now.