UBA Sénégal Heist: Two New Suspects Arrested at AIBD as Dic Tightens the Net

The UBA Sénégal scandal keeps unraveling. According to Libération, the Criminal Investigation Division (Dic) arrested two new suspects at Blaise Diagne International Airport as they were about to board flights to Casablanca and Nantes. The total losses now stand at 1.143 billion FCFA—a staggering sum that raises serious questions about the security of Senegal’s banking systems. Among those arrested is Abdou Aziz Thiam, 54, a sales director at AgtEmotors. Investigators consider him a central figure: surveillance footage allegedly shows him alongside other wanted suspects during withdrawals in the Almadies district on the night of January 30–31, 2026. The second suspect, a woman claiming to be a marketing agent, may turn out to be a collateral victim of a massive card-cloning scheme. The investigation will determine her actual involvement. The fraud originated from 3,421 unauthorized withdrawals made at ATMs in Dakar, Thiès, and Kaolack, all targeting UBA Sénégal. So far, six people have been arrested. Earlier, Ababacar Ndiaye (a carpenter) and Bassirou Kane (a footballer) were caught trying to leave the country. Then Alioune Thiam, a postal executive and manager of “Easy Go Téranga,” was intercepted on his return from Morocco—he is considered one of the alleged masterminds. Most recently, Hamidou Tanou Diallo, a Kaolack trader with UBA accounts, was arrested in Keur Ayib. What stands out is the diversity of the suspects: a carpenter, a footballer, a postal agent, a trader, a sales director. An eclectic network that exploited the cracks in a banking system many trusted. Beyond the financial shock, this affair shakes public confidence. Senegalese who entrust their savings to these institutions deserve answers. The Dic continues its meticulous work, and we wait to see how far the threads of this web will lead.