*How The Drugs Trade Operates Through this Country*


   - The Independent (Freetown)


ANALYSIS
18 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008

 The 700 kilograms drugs impounded at the Lungi international airport,
Sierra Leone's only international airport, is not a new phenomenon.

Several years ago I wrote a story detailing the drugs network linking Sierra
Leone, South Africa and Belgium, for the Gemini News service in London which
was later bought over by Panos institute.

My more than a decade and a half of practicing journalism instilled a
curiosity in me to study certain phenomena. Over the years , I had tried to
study society and its dynamics. It led me to find out what are the true
causes of war, juvenile delinquency and crime in general. My several years
of probing into these issues led me to discover that there is connectivity
between drugs, war and crime.

For the sake of clarity let us start with the drugs network in Sierra Leone
and see how it had operated over the years. There are three stages in the
drugs transaction, the source, the transit point and the destination. There
are the king pins who have the money, they hire agents who do the buying and
then several agents are hired in several countries to serve as conveyors for
the drugs. These agents in the transit and destination points operate
business enterprises which are merely fronts. They infiltrate government
officials' security agencies and airport workers.

For a long time Nigeria served as a source for drugs and narcotics supply in
many parts of Africa. During the war in the West African state of Liberia,
drugs were sold to rebels and then proceeds derived were taken through
Sierra Leone. Many of the dealers traveled by road from Nigeria to Liberia
and then entered Sierra Leone though porous borders. When the war spilled
into neighboring Sierra Leone, the trade then shifted. Dealings were done in
the capital Freetown and through the Revolutionary United front rebels.
There were reports of several ECOMOG so-called peace keeping soldiers
dealing in drugs. By the time the war ended the drug empire had enlarged. It
was taken from Nigeria through Sierra Leone to South Africa from where it
was taken to Belgium. The conveyors would then travel by train to the UK. A
second route involved traveling through South Africa to Aemria and those who
braved it to the United States do not do so through crowded airports in
Washington or New York. The syndicate had to involve several people that
even included plane crews. In Sierra Leone, when ever the "cargo" arrived,
it would be cleared by either customs official, airport staff or security
guard which means it is opened to the public and many times it was done at
night and conveyed by hired vehicles to a sub agent who contacts a local
king pin to pay the money involved. Sometimes the rout involves going from
Nigeria to Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau or Gambia and then to the Canary
Islands from where local bots could be used to remote destinations in Spain.


Drug dealing is very lucrative and the operators therefore offer
irresistible temptations to public officials. In Sierra Leone today there is
a precipitation to get rich quick and there is no questioning on the
legitimacy of wealth despite the persistent barking of anti-corruption.
These irresistible temptations are used to lure cops, airport officials,
custom officials and public servants. The numbers of "Ghettos" (places where
drugs are sold) are increasing every day. Go Lumley Street, watch Street in
the centre of Freetown and Krootown Road in the west and many urban areas in
the country, you find out that boredom and frustration and idleness has made
these places an ideal spot for the lumpen youth. Incidentally, the numbers
of violent crimes are increasing. Ther3 are still many murders that the
police cannot find the culprits which ahs made life very scary. During the
war, the lumpen youths formed the bulk of the fighting forces and ende
amputating civilians, burning down houses and torturing many. Looting was
the order of the day as they need enough money to satisfy their drug habits.


The recent discovery of 60 million dollars worth of drugs on board a plane
that landed "without permission" is therefore tip of the iceberg. The arrest
of Colombians, Venezuelans and an American and the fact that it originated
from Venezuela reveals that a new source had emerged to compete with Nigeria
in the drugs trade over the years. Not surprisingly a top police official S.
I. S. Korma who is the local unit commander has been arrested. Also, the
team manager of the country's national team, Mohamed essay has been arrested
together with a staff of a Nigerian bank called First International Bank nad
many more. As at the time of posting this story not less than fifty people
have been rounded and detained by the police.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations Francis
Munu says no stone will be left unturned to bring culprits to book but
paradoxically while the police were unloading the drugs from the plane after
the discover, a packet disappeared which has caused the minister of
information Ibrahim ben Kargbo to express surprise. It is a vivid
manifestation that drugs are like a virus, if you go too close you might end
up being infected.

But why were the crews who went with the drugs to Sierra Leone traveling
with weapons. Some say its natural for drug dealers to travel with
ammunition but others vividly remember the 80s in Togo when mercenaries
arrived with drugs and alcohol and started a fist fight at the airport. When
they were arrested searched and interrogated it was revealed that they were
hired in Europe to overthrow President Nasingbe Eyadema. Which ever school
of thought is right the fact is those drug syndicates are posing a threat to
peace in Africa. In many parts were they operate they end up arming
disgruntled elements to rebel and drugs trade become more lucrative in time
of instability because security mechanisms are weakened.

Currently there have been reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
in the US and Scotland Yard in the UK are helping in the investigation. But
who is the king pin behind the trade? That is a home work for them.

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