The Sierra Leone Police has said that it has arrested suspected internet fraudsters, drug barons and other criminals in its fresh raids and operations.

AIG William Fayia, Director of Crime Services of the Sierra Leone Police said this at the Police Press briefing held on Thursday, 15th July 2021 in Freetown.

“We have realized that there is a huge influx of drugs in the country and the accompanying effect is that our youths are becoming very irate and creating a lot of problems for security as a whole. With that in mind, we came up with a very quick action to see how best we can clamp down on the operations of the drug barons”, Fayia said.

According to him, the culprits were arrested in various locations of the country and were caught in possession of various drugs including tramadol, Kush, cannabis sativa and other illegal drugs they make money from by selling them to the public.

Head of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), Alhaji Kelfala Maddie Bangura informed journalists that a joint team of police officers from across the country came together to ensure that they arrest and address the issue of drug trafficking in Freetown and the country at large.

Bangura said they arrested the seven men and a woman from different sections and parts of the country based on intelligence that the suspects were keeping different types of drugs at their houses.

He said this is not the first time they have arrested people for such offences as they have statistics of people that they have arrested and charged to court, adding that people have benefitted from such arrest data they believe the media houses would help disseminate.

Director of Operations at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Francis B. Lebbie also mentioned that the police is investigating a case of Internet Fraud involving a Nigerian National.

According to him, the Nigerian national conspired with other persons unknown and illicitly transferred $37,000 and Le153,000,000 through Mobile Internet Banking to various customers bank account without lawful authority.