Freetown – The U.S. State Department has officially designated Sierra Leone as a significant drug transshipment point, raising concerns over the country’s deepening entanglement in international drug smuggling networks. A recent report from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) highlights that Sierra Leone has become a crucial transit hub, especially for cocaine transported from South America and Asia to Europe, with some shipments also destined for the United States, and increasingly, to East and Southeast Asian markets. Beyond cocaine, Sierra Leone is also identified as a major producer and exporter of cannabis, with cultivation and consumption surging across various districts, including the capital, Freetown, and the northern region, notably Kambia District. The ease of smuggling cannabis across borders into Guinea, Liberia, and other African nations, as well as the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S., has significantly contributed to its widespread cultivation.
The report underscores the ongoing challenges Sierra Leone faces in combating drug trafficking and money laundering, particularly the pervasive problem of corruption that undermines critical public institutions, including health, education, and policing. Furthermore, the country’s judicial system is described as inefficient and burdened with a substantial backlog of cases, further hindering efforts to address these complex issues. In response to these challenges, the INL has been implementing various programs in Sierra Leone aimed at bolstering law enforcement and judicial capabilities, while also focusing on tackling other regional security threats such as human trafficking, wildlife crime, and financial fraud. One key INL initiative involves training Sierra Leone’s police force in managing public order situations, employing a national decision-making model that has been credited with contributing to the peaceful conduct of the 2018 and 2023 presidential elections.
In 2020, the INL supported the establishment of a professional curriculum at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA), a program that integrates respect for human rights and the rule of law, equipping officers with modern policing standards. The INL also funded the first-ever joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, codenamed “FLASH-WEKA,” in 2023, an effort that successfully targeted organized crime syndicates involved in human trafficking and migrant smuggling, leading to a police raid in Sierra Leone that rescued 15 suspected trafficking victims. Despite these positive strides and efforts to address the alarming rise in drug abuse, including the recent declaration of a national emergency over the synthetic drug ‘kush’ which has led to escalating fatalities, the report concludes that Sierra Leone’s strategic location and persistent governance challenges continue to make it a vital link in global drug trafficking routes. Strengthening law enforcement, combating corruption, and reinforcing the judiciary remain top priorities in Sierra Leone’s efforts to counter transnational organized crime and protect its citizens from the devastating impacts of illicit drugs.