Sierra Leone’s Inspector General of Police, William Fayai Sellu, addressed Parliament this week, highlighting recent drug busts and a concerning discovery of counterfeit money.

Sellu reported the seizure of a significant amount of fake US dollars (estimated at US$35,000). The confiscated money was sent to the Bank of Sierra Leone for verification, but authorities haven’t received any updates.

The Police Boss confirmed the arrest of a total of one hundred and thirty-nine (139) cartons of tramadol in the last couple of months. He stated that the police first arrested a Nigerian with thirty-seven (37) cartons of tramadol in Bo while the one hundred and two (102) cartons were intercepted at the Quay.

Sellu urged Parliament to enact legislation allowing full inspection of all containers entering the country. He believes this measure is crucial to curb the import of dangerous drugs like Kush.

He pointed out that several people have been arrested and charged to Court for drug-related offenses. He expressed serious concern about the work of the judiciary in adjudicating drug-related matters.

In his contribution, the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sarty Kanneh said the statistics available revealed an increase in the number of people taking Kush and other narcotic drugs nationwide. “In 2020 the Kissy Psychiatric Hospital alone recorded 222 patients,819 in 2021, 1,759 in 2022, and 2,955 in 2023,” he said. In 2023 alone, Dr. Kanneh said the Hospital recorded 1,865 patients with Kush, 701 with tramadol, and 127 with cannabis sativa cases.

Adding that the majority of the victims are between 20 to 34 years old, which he noted is worrisome. Dr. Kanneh disclosed that the health sector is not one hundred percent strong enough to handle the Kush issue.