Police Uncover Suspected Drug Lab in Waterloo After Arrest of Man in Bo

Police have uncovered a suspected drug laboratory in Waterloo, Western Area Rural District, following the arrest of a man in Bo with illegal drugs and chemical substances

The operation was launched after the arrest of Umar Mansaray, who was apprehended with illicit drugs and chemical substances at the Fallah checkpoint in Bo District on 14 July 2025.

Mansaray, initially detained by local police, was subsequently transferred to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) in Freetown for further investigation.

According to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mohamed Kugba Allieu, Head of TOCU, the suspect’s interrogation revealed critical intelligence that led investigators to his residence in Waterloo.

In a coordinated sting operation led by CSP Allieu, law enforcement officials searched the suspect’s home, where they uncovered laboratory apparatus and chemicals suspected to be used in the manufacture of narcotics.

The discovery has raised alarms over the possible presence of a clandestine drug production facility operating within the country.

Further compounding suspicions of transnational criminal links, police recovered four different passports from the suspect three Sierra Leonean passports and one Uruguayan all bearing different surnames.

Authorities are now probing the extent of Mansaray’s operations and his possible ties to international drug trafficking networks.

CSP Allieu confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that all items recovered, along with the suspect, remain in police custody as forensic analysis and intelligence gathering continue.