By George M.O. Williams
Sierra Leone – October 21, 2025: The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has firmly refuted recent social media claims alleging that a container filled with the synthetic drug Kush went missing at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 21, the SLP described the reports as false, misleading, and unpatriotic, asserting that they were intended to tarnish the country’s image and reputation.
According to the statement, the alleged container—number TCNU 1723946, bearing the inscription Triton International—was intercepted on May 13, 2025, by the Combined Maritime Control Unit (CMCU) of the SEACOP Project. The container, which originated from Southampton, United Kingdom, was found to contain seventeen 50kg bags of Kush and ninety-one bottles of precursor chemicals.
The SLP clarified that a full physical examination of the container was conducted to identify and isolate all items of security interest. The contraband was duly recorded by the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), while other personal effects were stored separately. The seized items were then sealed and placed under the custody of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbour Authority (SLPHA) for safekeeping.
Following the seizure, the Executive Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) obtained the necessary legal order and submitted it to the TOCU Management Board. A destruction exercise was subsequently carried out on July 31, 2025, at the TOCU Headquarters in Hastings, involving the intercepted drugs, including those from the referenced container.
The destruction process was conducted in the presence of media representatives, security officials, and other stakeholders. A verification exercise was undertaken to confirm the type and quantity of the drugs, and an After-Destruction Report was prepared and submitted to the TOCU Management Board and the Security Sector Communications Unit.
The SLP emphasized the importance of verifying information before publication and urged the public to rely on credible sources. “We urge anyone who has credible evidence confirming that a Kush-filled container has disappeared at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay to present such evidence to the Sierra Leone Police,” the statement concluded.