By Joe Turay
Investigations into suspected cocaine trafficking networks in Sierra Leone are expanding, with police examining activities along coastal routes, including informal wharfs and riverine landing sites around the capital, according to security and police sources.
The probe follows the reported seizure of 22 cartons of suspected cocaine at Portee Wharf in eastern Freetown several months ago, an incident that has triggered internal investigations within the police and intensified scrutiny of the country’s maritime borders.
Police sources said a number of officers are under investigation over alleged links to the handling of the seized consignment, in what could become one of Sierra Leone’s most significant anti-narcotics investigations in recent years.
According to information obtained from police sources, about six officers were identified as persons of interest in connection with the alleged disappearance of part of the seized consignment. Three officers have reportedly been suspended, while three others who participated in the operation that led to the seizure were transferred from the Kissy Police Division.
The transfers have been described by some police sources as punitive and aimed at removing officers who could possess key information about the handling of the seized drugs.
Police have not publicly explained either the suspensions or the transfers, and no official statement has been issued regarding the allegations.
Security analysts say Sierra Leone’s extensive Atlantic coastline and network of isolated coastal communities have increasingly exposed the country to international drug trafficking syndicates, which are believed to use fishing boats, canoes and other small vessels to transport cocaine between larger ships offshore and landing points along the coast.
Residents in several coastal communities have reported seeing boats operating without navigation lights late at night, raising suspicions among security officials that such vessels may be used to move illicit cargo.
Authorities are also investigating reports that drug consignments have either been intercepted at sea or washed ashore, sometimes prompting local residents to collect the packages before security forces arrive, complicating law enforcement efforts.
Security experts say such operations point to a sophisticated trafficking network in which coastal communities are used as transit points while organisers remain largely hidden.
Allegations have also circulated that influential figures in business and government may be involved in coordinating the trade, although no evidence has been made public to support those claims and no senior officials have been charged.
The name “Bello Jos” has repeatedly surfaced in public discussions surrounding suspected trafficking routes, but authorities have not publicly confirmed any investigation or charges involving him.
Civil society organisations and some residents have questioned whether the latest investigations will result in meaningful accountability or merely serve to ease growing public concern over the country’s role in regional cocaine trafficking.
Security agencies have increasingly faced accusations from sections of the public that they are aware of the principal actors behind the cocaine trade but have failed to prosecute influential suspects, focusing instead on lower-level operatives. The authorities have not responded publicly to those allegations.
The investigation has also raised concerns about press freedom.
Police recently summoned Voice of Salone newspaper editor Joseph Johnson for questioning over a report alleging a cocaine seizure at Portee Wharf.
Officers reportedly requested evidence supporting the publication, saying no official record of the alleged seizure had been logged at Police Headquarters.
Media rights advocates have expressed concern over the questioning, arguing that increased scrutiny of journalists reporting on organised crime could undermine transparency and public accountability at a time when independent reporting is critical.
The Sierra Leone Police have yet to issue a comprehensive public statement on the ongoing investigations, the reported disciplinary measures against officers, or the questioning of the newspaper editor. The outcome of the investigation remains unclear.
