Sierra Leone is once again under scrutiny as Liberia seizes a shipment of illegal drugs

 


A vehicle traveling from Sierra Leone to Monrovia through Lofa County was intercepted this week by the Joint Security of Foya District, led by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).

Acting on a tip-off, the LDEA-led team stopped the vehicle and escorted it to the Foya Police Station for a detailed inspection.

The street value of the significant drug shipment is estimated at $77,200.

According to FrontPage Africa, on the night of March 17 at around 10:45 PM, the Joint Security team received information about a black pickup truck with a Liberian license plate transporting narcotics.


Upon interception, the driver initially claimed to be transporting clothes and slippers for sale.

However, a thorough search revealed 772 plates of high-grade marijuana, valued at approximately $77,200 (14,668,000 Liberian dollars), as well as eight boxes of Tramadol worth an additional 160,000 Liberian dollars.

The driver was immediately arrested and is currently under investigation. He is expected to be formally charged and brought to court.

In December 2024, a driver attached to the embassy of Sierra Leone in Guinea was arrested with seven suitcases of cocaine.

Numerous news reports, images, and accounts reveal the role Sierra Leone plays as a transshipment point for large volumes of Latin American cocaine heading to Europe.

On March 6, Dutch Minister of Justice David van Weel announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he had a conversation with his colleague, Alpha Sesay, Sierra Leone's Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

A significant topic of discussion was the Dutch extradition request for Jos Leijdekkers, who is wanted for serious crimes.

Van Weel noted strong indications that Leijdekkers is currently in Sierra Leone.

He emphasized that discussions like these are vital for combating transnational organized crime.

Thomas Dixon, a Sierra Leonean journalist, reported that Maada Bio has relieved Alusine Kanneh of his position as head of the immigration service after a video surfaced showing Kanneh partying with Leijdekkers, who is known as Omar Sherriff in Sierra Leone.

A bulletin from Emmanuel Gaima, secretary to the president in Sierra Leone, announced that Moses Tiffa Baio has been appointed as the new Chief Immigration Officer, effective March 7.

An article on FTM published on March 7 states that Leijdekkers' connections to Sierra Leone's politicians are so strong that European police feel powerless to bring him back to Europe.

One FTM video shows Leijdekkers passing a wrapped gift to Alusine Kanneh, the recently ousted head of the immigration service.

The video also features Andrew Jaiah Kaikai, the head of Sierra Leone's anti-drugs agency.

In January, FTM reported that Leijdekkers was seen sitting next to Maada Bio's daughter, Agnes, who is reportedly married to the Dutch fugitive.



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