“We Used to Buy Kush from Sierra Leone Police,” Kush Victim Alleges Publicly

A former Kush user and ghetto reform activist, Prince Jose Reffell, has publicly alleged that some personnel of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) were involved in reselling drugs seized during police raids on ghettos and drug dens.

Reffell made the allegations during an interview on AYV Television’s Wake Up Sierra Leone programme, where he spoke about his experience as a former drug user and a victim of substance abuse.

According to him, drugs confiscated by police during operations were not always destroyed or properly handled but were instead allegedly diverted back into circulation.

“We used to buy Kush from personnel of the Sierra Leone Police,” Reffell said during the interview. He claimed that when police conducted raids in ghettos and seized Kush and other illegal substances, some officers would later resell the drugs to users.

Reffell further alleged that he was, on several occasions, invited by certain police officers to assess the quality of drugs seized during such raids before they were allegedly sold again.

“When they conduct raids in ghettos, they seize the Kush and other drugs found, and they usually invite me to assess the quality of the drugs. After I did, they will now resell it to the drug users,” he said.

Describing himself as a victim of drug abuse, Reffell said his claims are based on his personal experiences while he was actively involved in drug use. He did not name specific officers or provide documentary evidence during the interview, but he insisted that the practice was known among users at the time.

The Sierra Leone Police have not responded publicly to the allegations as of the time of this report. The claims, if proven, would raise serious concerns about the handling of seized drugs and accountability within law enforcement.

Kush, a highly addictive synthetic drug, has been linked to rising cases of addiction, mental health problems, and deaths among young people in Sierra Leone. The government and security agencies have in recent years intensified operations against drug trafficking and the use of Kush, describing it as a major public health and security threat.

Reffell said he is now focused on ghetto reform and advocacy against drug abuse, using his past experience to warn others about the dangers of Kush and to call for greater transparency and accountability in the fight against illegal drugs.