Sierra Leone police raid local newspaper office after publishing cocaine story

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 02 June 2026:

There are worrying reports in Freetown of police officers yesterday Monday afternoon, storming the office of Voice of Salone Newspaper and requested that the Editor accompany them to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to make a statement regarding the newspaper’s publication titled, “Mystery Surrounds Alleged Cocaine Seizure at Portee Wharf”.

According to local media, the police officers told the newspaper editor they have read the story and wanted additional evidence to enable them to conduct a thorough investigation and hold any individuals involved accountable.

In response, the Editor advised the officers to visit Portee Wharf to obtain firsthand information from people familiar with the matter, noting that the alleged incident was already widely known within the community.

The officers informed the Editor that Police Headquarters had not received any official report concerning a cocaine seizure at Portee Wharf, and therefore required the newspaper’s assistance in providing further evidence to substantiate the claims made in the publication.

The Editor maintained that it was the responsibility of the police to investigate the matter independently and suggested that inquiries at the wharf would reveal which police division reportedly led the operation involving the alleged seizure of cocaine in April.

During the exchange, one of the officers told the Editor that he had committed an offence by publishing the story.

When asked to specify the nature of the offence, the officer reportedly stated that it was a “state offence.”

The incident has sparked concern among media practitioners and advocates of press freedom, who argue that journalists have a duty to report matters of public interest and that allegations raised in news reports should be investigated through due process rather than viewed as criminal acts.

Freedom of speech, especially freedom of the press and the rights of journalists, are increasingly being curtailed in Sierra Leone, as the country slides further into becoming a haven for global cocaine barons and a major cocaine transhipment port.