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Gambia News : Gambia arrests alleged coup plotter

Rear Adm. Bubo Na Tchuto escaped last week from house arrest in his country and was detained Tuesday in Gambia, a day after he arrived in the West African country by sea, the government said in a statement.

The navy chief had been placed under house arrest on Aug. 6 after he allegedly attempted to orchestrate a coup against the West African country's president. It was unclear how he managed to evade house arrest.

"The government of the Gambia hereby announces the arrest in the Gambia of (Na Tchuto), alleged leader of the coup plot foiled in Guinea-Bissau," the statement said.

Na Tchuto is also suspected of involvement in the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America.

U.N. drug experts say Guinea-Bissau — a tiny nation about 130 miles (200 kilometers) south of Gambia — has become a major transit point for South American cocaine bound for Europe.

Drug smugglers are believed to use nearby deserted islands as drop-off points. The islands are under the control of the country's navy.