Photo: Crack (Rock) Cocaine Wrapped for Distribution.
A high level intelligence tip by Interpol has helped Sierra Leone
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) discover and arrest a 40 foot
container filled with Cocaine at Sierra Leone’s National Shipping Port,
Queen Elizabeth the II Quay in the country’s capital of Freetown. It
is also reported that the owner or owners of the container which
originated from the UK work for one of the major companies operating in
Sierra Leone with a duty free concession. It is estimated that the
quantity of the cocaine could reach hundreds of kilograms because it is
compressed in the container.
In 2008 a small Cessna private airplane landed at the Lungi
International Airport from Venezuela carrying over 700 kilograms of
cocaine. The arrest of the plane caused H.E. President Koromas to
relieve his former minister of Transport and Aviation and current
Chairman of All People’s Congress (APC) party in the Port Loko District,
Alhaji Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay of his duties as minister. Hon. Kemoh
Sesay was investigated by the FBI, UK’s MI 6, Office of National
Security (ONS) and the Sierra Leone Police but he was not indited.
The Hon. Minister was later reappointed as Special Adviser to the
President.
In July 17 of 2008 the Transport and aviation minister Kemoh Sesay
admitted that the key suspect in the cocaine investigation, Mohamed
Sesay is his relative. However, the Hon. Kemoh Sesay made it clear that
he knew nothing about the cocaine or the landing of the airplane. Mr.
Mohamed Sesay was later found guilty of cocaine trafficking and is
currently serving a prison sentence in connection with the infamous
Cocaine plane landing. The small airplane was confiscated by the
Sierra Leone government.
Interpol is the shortened form of the International Criminal Police
Organization which is headquartered in France. They serve as liaison
for almost 200 police departments around the world. Interpol cannot
make arrest but they can provide intelligence for the arrest of
criminals who engage in drug trafficking, terrorism, gun smuggling, auto
thefts and other crimes across country borders. They maintain one of
the largest databases of unsolved crimes around the world.
Smuggling Cocaine into Sierra Leone began in 1992 after Captain
Valentine Strasser and the current SLPP Flag-bearer Juliius Maada Bio
and their National Provisional Ruling Council introduced the illicit
trade in the small West African nation. After the young inexperienced
soldiers in their twenties overthrew, the government of late president
Momoh, Sierra Leone’s National Treasury became like candy store for
them. After the emptied the national treasury, they turned to the
Cocaine trade to make quick money.
When the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) took over the reigns of
power, some of the NPRC operatives who crossed over to the new civilian
government continued the illegal cocaine trafficking as the government
of Ahmad Tejan Kabba turned a blind eye. The same group of
criminals attempted to legitimize and continue the business in the new
administration but president Koroma, the new president would not
encourage such a trade.
Cocaine is one of the most powerfully addictive drugs of abuse in the
world. It is the second most commonly used illicit drug in the United
States. Anyone who tries cocaine for the first time most likely may not
be able to stop using it. Cocaine comes form the coca plant which is
found mostly in South America, Afghanistan and other countries. It
stimulates the body’s central nervous system when it is injected,
snorted or sniffed. It creates a strong sense of exhilaration were
users feel invincible, care free, alert and have a lot of energy. The
drug is so dangerous that it may cause cardiac arrest or
seizures, respiratory failure and of course death.
Photo: Side Effects of Long-term Cocaine Use.
While Cocaine is not a popular drug of choice in Sierra Leone, some
unscrupulous NPRC and SLPP political leaders started using the small
West African nation as a transit point for distribution around the
world since 1992. Sierra Leone was once used as a transit point for the
Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, this time, if the international community
and the government of Sierra Leone do not double their efforts in
curbing this destructive and illegal trade, the small nation could serve
as a permanent distribution center that could destroy the citizens
of Western Nations that benefited from the Atlantic Slave Trade.
This press doubts very much whether the cocaine shipment originated
from the United Kingdom where Interpol and other international police
agencies are active and vigilant. It would be reasonable to suspect
that the shipment originated from South America where the Cocaine
arrested in 2008 also originated. This press will continue to follow
this story to find out whether the container was actually loaded,
inspected and shipped from United Kingdom