Regional Police Commander of South East Assistant Inspector-General (AIG), Brima Kanneh disclosed that fifty-five (55) drug dealers were arrested in the Southern Region in 2023.

AIG Brima Kanneh made this discussion while addressing the media at the Police headquarters in Freetown on 21st February 2024.

He stated that the drug dealers were charged to court, and some were jailed while others were asked to pay fines, adding that the total fines paid amounted to two billion, six hundred and fifty thousand Leones (old).

He listed the kinds of drugs confiscated which includes Kush, Tramadol, Cannabis Sativa, and Ecstasy. He also disclosed that since the start of 2024, six other drug dealers have been arrested and sent to court, and five others detained awaiting possible court appearances.

The drugs were reported to have been mostly trafficked to Monrovia, Liberia concealed in footballs and sound speakers. “A lady called Sylvia was caught with a very large quantity of kush that she was trafficking to Monrovia,” Kanneh said, adding that a man called James was also apprehended as he attempted to traffick one bag of kush to the same destination.

Giving updates about Police activities in the northeast region, AIG Aiah Edward Samadia said they have done several raids in the past three months, citing the arrest at the Matotoka checkpoint of one individual with a huge quantity of kush. “The Magburaka Police Station is investigating that case and it will be charged to court,” he added.

The North-East AIG said they also nabbed a drug criminal who fled from Freetown to hide in Makeni. In the case of the Eastern Region, the Regional Commander, AIG Andrew M. Kamara stated that one person was arrested with fifty wraps of Kush, was charged to court, and sentenced to four years imprisonment.

He disclosed that on 16th January this year, Police arrested a driver with eight hundred and twenty-four kilograms of cannabis sativa, and made another arrest on 5th February this year, of a suspect with three bundles of the same drug who was charged to court and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. The other case of the driver is being tried in court. In Kenema, Kamara said they arrested one person with fifty-nine wraps of Kush, whose file has been sent to court.