By Sallieu S. Kanu
November 25, 2025: The Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone’s Northern Regional Office, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police, has dismantled a major illegal pharmaceutical storage facility in Kabala, Koinadugu District. The operation led to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of hundreds of cartons of controlled and counterfeit drugs.
Acting on intelligence reports, the joint team raided the facility located at 8 Faryama Street, Gbindi Park, Kabala, uncovering 23 cartons of Tapentadol 225mg capsules—a potent controlled analgesic—alongside 314 cartons of counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceutical products.
The two suspects believed to be operating the warehouse were taken into custody and transferred to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) in Freetown for further investigation.
Authorities confirmed that the seized counterfeit drugs have been moved to the District Medical Stores at Kabala Government Hospital for documentation, while the controlled substances were handed over to TOCU headquarters as evidence. The illegal storage facility has since been shut down by the Pharmacy Board.
Officials stated that the counterfeit and unregistered drugs will be destroyed in line with established protocols.
The Pharmacy Board has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious pharmaceutical activities to the nearest Pharmacy Board office or security agency.