Sierra Leone Ports Authority Director General Accused of Cocaine Trafficking

Director General of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority, Yankuba Bio has been accused by famous opposition politician, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray to be involved in cocaine processing and trafficking.

The Director General is one of several individuals implicated by Mansaray in connection with the discovery of European drug lord Jos Leijdekker’s residence in the West African nation.

The opposition politician has claimed that Bio is closely associated with Leijdekkers, a Dutch criminal known for his involvement in cocaine processing and smuggling. According to Mansaray, Bio, in his capacity as Director General of Sierra Leone’s major port, is alleged to be using his position to engage in illegal activities, including cocaine smuggling.

The revelation has laid the foundations for serious doubt about the involvement of senior government personalities in narcotics in Sierra Leone.

The Director General has yet to issue a statement with regards to the allegations made against him.

Meanwhile, the Dutch government has requested the extradition of Leijdekkers. Leijdekkers was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by a Rotterdam court for smuggling of over 70,000 tons of cocaine in the Netherlands. The Dutch government identified him as one of the key players in narcotics in Europe and alleged that he has been residing in Sierra Leone for the past 6 months.

The government of Sierra Leone has stated that they were not informed of Leijdekkers’ presence in the country. This announcement follows the widespread circulation of a video depicting him attending a New Year’s mass alongside President Julius Maada Bio.

Sierra Leone, in the past, has been identified as one of the major transit points for cocaine from Latin America to Europe.