Pape Cheikh Diallo case: how one phone led to 68 arrests in Senegal

The Pape Cheikh Diallo case in Senegal, managed by the Keur Massar Research Brigade, has expanded from 12 to 68 arrests in two months. This growth is attributed to an investigative strategy focused on systematically exploiting seized mobile phones. Messages, videos, contacts, and digital exchanges created a domino effect, with each arrest leading to further detentions. A turning point occurred after analyzing key devices, allowing investigators to map a complex network. Initially viewed as a morality case, it has been reclassified as organized crime, with suspects facing charges including criminal association, endangering the lives of others, money laundering, and intentional transmission of HIV. The accumulation of these offenses justifies the extensive resources deployed and the systematic use of remand. While a reform of Article 319 of the Penal Code, enacted by Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 27, 2026, has increased penalties, it will not apply to this case due to the principle of non-retroactivity of harsher criminal law. Therefore, ancillary charges, particularly health and financial ones, may determine the severity of sentences. With 68 people arrested and many phones still being analyzed, the investigation could expand further, raising questions about the judicial system's capacity and the strength of evidence largely based on digital data. A key question remains whether phone exploitation alone constitutes sufficient proof or merely a starting point for establishing f