By Andrew Chokpeleh
Freetown, 13th November 2025 — Sierra Leone’s war on illicit drugs has intensified with law enforcement officers seizing over 1,500 suspected narcotic items in a series of targeted arrests that signal a deepening crisis in urban drug trafficking.
At a press briefing held by the Sierra Leone Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police Michael J.K. Lagga, head of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit, revealed a string of arrests involving tramadol tablets and wraps of kush, a synthetic drug increasingly linked to youth addiction and organized crime.
Among the most brazen incidents was the arrest of Zainab Binta Samura, who was caught at Magistrate Court No. 1 with 210 tablets suspected to be tramadol and a quantity of dry leaves believed to be kush. Police say she attempted to hand over the substances to a defendant in custody en route to the male correctional center, an act described as a direct breach of courtroom security and a troubling sign of contraband infiltration.
In separate operations, John Sheriff Thoronka was found with 53 suspected tramadol tablets, while Osman Kamara was apprehended with a staggering 627 wraps of kush, the largest single haul in this sweep. Sheka Kargbo was caught with 353 wraps, and Sampha Abass Kamara was arrested by a patrol team with 103 wraps of the same substance.
In total, the seizures amount to 1,346 wraps of suspected kush and 263 tablets of suspected tramadol, all of which have been sent to the laboratory for forensic analysis. The results will determine the legal classification of the substances and guide the next phase of prosecution.
These arrests reflect a growing sophistication in drug trafficking networks. From court corridors to street corners, the reach of synthetic drugs is expanding, and the police is responding with equal force.
The police have vowed to intensify surveillance and enforcement, particularly around judicial precincts and correctional facilities, where attempts to smuggle contraband are becoming increasingly bold.
