By Mariama Bundu
The Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) of Sierra Leone has secured 52 convictions in a coordinated nationwide effort against drug trafficking and organised crime.
Official figures show 36 convictions in the Western Area, six in the Eastern Region (Kenema), six in the North-West (Port Loko), and four in the Southern Region (Bo). An additional 18 cases are pending in the High Court.
Judges have handed down heavy sentences, including 40 years imprisonment in major Kush trafficking cases, with other sentences ranging from 10 to 31 years. Several offenders received concurrent sentences for multiple offences.
Seizures during the operations included hundreds of wraps and sachets of Kush, Tramadol tablets, cocaine, and cannabis. Operations were conducted in Freetown, Kenema, Port Loko, Bo, Makeni, along the Mile 91 corridor, and at key border points such as Lungi.
A TOCU spokesperson said, “Drug trafficking is no longer treated as a minor offence but as a serious threat to national security. We are dismantling distribution networks and ensuring investigations lead to High Court convictions.”
