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The rate of drugs smuggling at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay, otherwise known as Water Quay, is on the increase and is now a worrying concern for some members of the international community, including the Embassy of the United States of America in Freetown.
Last week, a high powered delegation from the USA embassy in Freetown led by the Ambassador and senior security personnel visited the Quay at Cline Town to check on the strength of the Security at the port. This visit to the port in Freetown by the US Embassy followed the reported recent huge cache of cocaine arrested in Burkina Faso that reportedly came through the port in Freetown.According to sources the cost of the captured smuggle drugs was pegged at over $11 million.
According to the Communications Unit of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (SLPA), the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer, held high level talks with the SLPA Management including their Deputy Director General on how to strengthen sea security at the port so as to stop the transportation and transiting of illegal substances to and from the Queen Elizabeth II Quay, adding that the rate at which illegal drugs are being discovered and arrested at the quay is a cause for concern.
The SLPA unit also informed the public that during the visit the US Embassy security personnel checked the entire security system at the port including
the ICT system, human resources and other security equipment put in place to monitor activities at the quay.
The US team also promised to install other new security equipment at the quay to boost the current strength of the local administrators. In his response, the Deputy SLPA Manager, Yankuba Bio, expressed satisfaction with the visit of the US team, adding that the SLPA management will work hard to support and strengthen security at the quay.
