The leadership of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has firmly refuted and clarified misleading social media reports and publications alleging that a container filled with the illegal substance “Kush” had gone missing at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Cline Town, Freetown.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, 21st October 2025, the SLP described the misinformation as “not only unpatriotic but also a deliberate attempt to tarnish the country’s image and hard-earned reputation.”
According to the release, on 13th May 2025, the Combined Maritime Control Unit (CMCU) of the SEACOP Project at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay intercepted seventeen (17) 50kg bags of Kush and ninety-one (91) bottles of precursor chemicals in a 40-foot container arriving from Southampton, United Kingdom, bearing the number TCNU 1733946 and marked “Triton International.”
Following the discovery, a 100% physical examination was conducted by the CMCU to isolate the items of security interest for further action. During this process, the items identified as illegal substances were recorded by the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), while the other personal effects within the same container were separated and kept in a different container.
The statement continued that, “The container with the items of security interest was sealed, stacked, and placed under the custody of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) for safekeeping and subsequent action.”
Shortly afterward, the Head of TOCU handed over a comprehensive list of the seized drugs to the Executive Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to facilitate a request for a Destruction Order from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The NDLEA subsequently obtained the destruction order and submitted it to the TOCU Management Board for deliberation and the selection of a date for the destruction exercise.
On 31st July 2025, the seized drugs including those found in the container under reference were publicly destroyed at the TOCU Headquarters in Hastings, on the outskirts of Freetown. The exercise was conducted in the presence of journalists (the Fourth Estate) and other relevant stakeholders.
A destruction report was later produced and presented to the TOCU Management Board, followed by media publications and public briefings facilitated by the Security Sector Communications Unit to ensure transparency and public awareness.
The SLP has therefore urged all well-meaning Sierra Leoneans to verify information with the appropriate authorities before sharing or publishing it. The police cautioned against spreading misinformation and disinformation, which they say serve only to mislead the public and undermine national progress.
The statement concludes that despite the absence of evidence, “detractors of the Bio Administration, both at home and abroad, have continued to spread false information across social media and pro-opposition platforms with apparent impunity.”