Since Oct. 2022 the U.S. Department of State advises to reconsider travelling to Mauritania. It warns: Violent crimes occur frequently outside the Tevragh Zeina neighborhoods in Nouakchott. They include mugging, armed robbery, and assault. Local police lack the resources to respond quickly and effectively to serious crimes. [1]
Opportunistic crime is prevalent in Mauritania. Several homes and private individuals, including U.S. citizens, have been targeted by violent criminals within the past five years. In Nouakchott, rape, armed robberies and burglaries occur at homes and busy streets in broad daylight. Some of these incidents have been violent, and the use of knives and other weapons is becoming more common. [1]
In August 2007, Mauritanian police discovered 860 kilograms (1,896 lbs.) of cocaine concealed beneath rice sacks in a stationary minibus, marking the country's largest drug seizure. The country was reported to have emerged as a key transit point for Colombian cocaine destined for lucrative markets in Europe, where the illicit use of the substance was escalating. [2]
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