Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 May 2026:
Sunday, 10th May 2026. Your Excellency President Julius Maada Bio President of the Republic of Sierra Leone State House, Freetown.
Dear Mr. President,
AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO ON THE GROWING INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING LINKS TO SIERRA LEONE
As Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, I write with profound concern and a deep sense of patriotic duty regarding the alarming and repeated international reports linking Sierra Leone, Sierra Leoneans, our territorial waters, our ports, our borders and persons associated with our country to international narcotics trafficking and organized criminal networks.
Over the last two years in particular, Sierra Leone has increasingly appeared in international criminal investigations, media reports, law enforcement briefings, and extradition proceedings concerning cocaine trafficking, organized crime syndicates, and transnational drug cartels.
The frequency and gravity of these reports now pose a serious threat to our national image, diplomatic standing, internal security, and future economic prospects.
The latest incident is the interception by Spanish authorities of the vessel MV Arconian, reportedly carrying more than 30 tonnes of cocaine after departing from Freetown allegedly en route to Libya.
According to reports by El País and other international media, the vessel was intercepted off the coast of Western Sahara by the Spanish Guardia Civil, acting on intelligence reportedly provided by the United States DEA and Dutch authorities.
The vessel is reported to have departed the port of Freetown on 22nd April 2026. It is also alleged that the vessel was previously named Nur Zeynep and flew Sierra Leone’s flag.
Even more alarming, Your Excellency, were the disclosures made by Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, during his official press conference on the MV Arconian interception.
The Minister confirmed that Spanish authorities discovered a hidden arsenal onboard the vessel, including automatic rifles, tactical pistols, ammunition, and heavily armed security personnel allegedly assigned to protect the cocaine shipment.
The presence of such sophisticated weaponry aboard a vessel that had recently departed from Freetown raises grave national security concerns for Sierra Leone. It exposes potentially dangerous weaknesses within our maritime surveillance, port inspection systems, intelligence gathering capabilities, and border security architecture.
The fact that a heavily armed vessel allegedly connected to international organized crime networks was able to depart Sierra Leonean territory undetected creates serious fears about the porousness of our national security framework and the possible infiltration of transnational criminal syndicates into our maritime corridors.
Most troublingly, the Spanish Interior Minister publicly linked the operation to the notorious Dutch-Moroccan “Mocro Mafia” criminal organization, a network repeatedly associated by European investigators with fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos,” whose prolonged presence in Sierra Leone has already generated enormous international embarrassment and concern.
These revelations elevate the matter beyond ordinary narcotics trafficking and into the realm of organized transnational criminal operations with potentially severe implications for Sierra Leone’s sovereignty, security, and international standing.
Your Excellency, the growing concern is not limited to maritime trafficking alone. Increasingly, reports from airports and international law enforcement agencies across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and North America are referencing Sierra Leonean nationals, Sierra Leone-linked routes, or persons travelling from Sierra Leone in narcotics interceptions and organized crime investigations.
In the United Kingdom and Europe, authorities continue to intensify investigations into transnational cocaine trafficking networks connected to West Africa.
Dutch prosecutors and Europol have publicly identified Sierra Leone as a location where internationally wanted cocaine trafficker Jos Leijdekkers allegedly received protection while continuing to evade European law enforcement.
Reuters further reported allegations from international investigators that Sierra Leone has become an increasingly important transhipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for European markets.
The seriousness of these allegations was amplified after reports emerged showing the close association between Leijdekkers and senior Sierra Leonean officials, resulting in intense international scrutiny and diplomatic embarrassment.
International publications including Reuters and The Guardian carried reports suggesting concerns among European investigators regarding possible high-level protection networks operating within Sierra Leone.
Additionally, authorities in Guinea intercepted a Sierra Leone embassy vehicle carrying seven suitcases containing substances suspected to be cocaine, prompting the recall of Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Guinea for questioning.
This incident drew widespread international media coverage and further damaged confidence in the integrity of Sierra Leone’s diplomatic and border-control systems.
Beyond Europe, there have been multiple recent airport interceptions involving passengers travelling from Sierra Leone or linked to Sierra Leone routes. These include arrests and seizures in Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, and other international transit points involving cocaine trafficking allegations.
The repeated appearance of Sierra Leone in these international narcotics cases is no longer being viewed globally as coincidence. Even more troubling is the emergence of Sierra Leone’s notorious synthetic drug crisis onto the international stage.
Reports from Sri Lanka and other jurisdictions concerning interceptions of ‘Kush’ and related narcotics have increasingly referenced Sierra Leone as one of the epicentres of the dangerous synthetic drug epidemic now devastating our youth population.
Within Sierra Leone itself, local security agencies have also announced several airport, ports and border related drug interceptions. Reports include the arrest of suspects at Freetown International Airport, containers at the quay, cargoes on the roads, involving suspected cocaine, tramadol consignments, marijuana trafficking, and narcotics smuggling operations linked to foreign nationals and Sierra Leoneans alike.
These incidents, when viewed collectively alongside the ongoing international investigations concerning maritime cocaine trafficking and the continued presence of internationally wanted narcotics figures within Sierra Leone, paint an increasingly troubling picture.
The concern now extends beyond isolated criminal acts. International law enforcement agencies appear to be identifying Sierra Leone as an emerging logistical corridor within broader transnational narcotics supply chains connecting Latin America, West Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
This growing pattern threatens not only our national reputation but also the integrity of our airports, ports, immigration systems, financial institutions, and border security architecture.
Your Excellency, while not every individual arrested abroad or within represents the Sierra Leonean state, the cumulative effect of these incidents is creating a dangerous international narrative that Sierra Leone is becoming deeply embedded within global narcotics trafficking corridors.
The Government’s continued silence limited public disclosures, and apparent reluctance to aggressively confront these allegations are unfortunately strengthening suspicions internationally and locally that criminal networks may be operating with institutional protection or political influence.
The prolonged silence and apparent hesitation by the Government of Sierra Leone in responding firmly and transparently to these matters is creating a dangerous international perception of either indifference, weakness, or worse, complicity.
Despite all these damaging allegations against our country, there has not been any serious attempt by the Government to distance itself from this troubling situation in our nation’s history.
A strong and clear position from the Government, together with the extradition of the drug fugitive, could help reduce the daily humiliation and demoralization faced by decent and innocent Sierra Leonean travellers at air and seaports around the world.
Your Excellency, Sierra Leone was, only a few years ago, able to free itself from the painful image of being associated with blood diamonds, and it took tremendous effort to restore the country’s reputation.
Rebranding Sierra Leone as a narcotics haven points toward a dangerous future. Our people deserve clear answers and reassurance. The reputational consequences for our country are enormous.
Sierra Leone risks becoming internationally categorized as a narco-transit state or, even more dangerously, a narco-state. Such a label would have devastating consequences for foreign direct investment, international banking relationships, security cooperation, visa and migration policies affecting Sierra Leoneans, trade and maritime confidence, tourism, diplomatic credibility and international development partnerships.
This situation also has severe domestic consequences. The drugs are no longer simply passing through. Our communities are now experiencing an unprecedented rise in drug abuse, particularly the spread of dangerous synthetic narcotics among young people.
Across Freetown and many provincial towns, the abuse of ‘Kush’ and other synthetic substances has become a national emergency. Families are being destroyed. Young men and women are falling into addiction, mental instability, criminality, and hopelessness. Entire communities are living in fear.
Even my family has not been spared. I brought my nephew from Lungi to attend Milton Margai University. I paid his full tuition fees with the hope that he will build a better future for himself.
Sadly, after attending classes for only two weeks, he became involved in drugs. Today, he has dropped out of university and now lives under the bridge at Aberdeen along with other young people struggling with addiction.
This experience has deeply affected me and it shows that none of our families are immune from this self-inflicted menace.
There is now a growing public belief that the explosion of synthetic drug abuse in Sierra Leone is connected to wider international trafficking networks operating within or through our territory. The Government’s response so far has been grossly inadequate.
Your Excellency, these repeated incidents cannot continue to be treated as isolated embarrassments. They point to a potentially larger and deeply dangerous criminal infrastructure that may already be taking root within our borders.
Your Excellency, history teaches us that nations do not become narco states overnight. It happens gradually through silence, institutional compromise, political protection, corruption, and the normalization of criminal infiltration into public life. Sierra Leone must not travel down that road.
This matter transcends party politics. It concerns the future security, integrity, and international standing of our beloved nation. The people of Sierra Leone deserve answers. They deserve transparency. They deserve decisive leadership.
I therefore urge you to act immediately and decisively before irreversible damage is done to the image and future of our country. May God bless Sierra Leone.
Respectfully, Hon. Abdul Kargbo – Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Sierra Leone
Cc: The Speaker of Parliament, PoSL; The Leader of Government Business, PoSL; The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; The Minister of Internal Affairs; The Minister of Transport and Aviation; The National Security Coordinator; The Inspector General of Police; The Commissioner-General, National Revenue Authority; The Director-General, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority; The Director-General, Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority; The Chief Immigration Officer; The Executive Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); The Chairman, Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs.
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