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Sierra Leone opposition alarmed by alleged narcotics links after ship seizure departed Freetown
Sierra Leone's opposition leader Abdulai Kargbo writes to President Bio expressing alarm over alleged links between Sierra Leone and international narcotics networks, amid a recent drug seizure linked to a ship that had left Freetown. A separate Spanish police seizure in the Atlantic involved a Comoros-flagged vessel with 30 tonnes of cocaine and multiple arrests. The case adds to concerns about governance and potential ties between criminal networks and state actors.
Why It Matters
The events touch on governance, security, and international cooperation in anti-narcotics efforts for Sierra Leone and the region.
Timeline
3 Events
Jos Leijdekkers linked to Sierra Leone via recent months and raised questions of government ties
May 11, 2026
The article notes the confirmed presence in Sierra Leone in recent months of Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted drug traffickers, and shows images of him with high-ranking officials including President Bio. Europol lists him as a major cocaine trafficker. In 2024, a Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison for organising the transport of almost seven tons of cocaine and ordering a murder.
Abdulai Kargbo writes open letter to President Bio over narcotics links
May 11, 2026
In an open letter to President Julius Maada Bio, Abdulai Kargbo, leader of the main opposition C party, expressed alarm and a sense of patriotic duty. He highlighted alarming and repeated international reports linking Sierra Leone and its waters to international narcotics trafficking and organised crime networks, and said the case has strengthened suspicions that criminal networks may be operating with institutional protection or political influence.
Spanish police seize firearms and 30 tonnes of cocaine from Comoros-flagged vessel in the Atlantic
May 7, 2026
On Thursday, Spanish police said they seized firearms and 30 tonnes of cocaine worth $700 million from a Comoros-flagged vessel in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship had departed from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was en route to the Mediterranean Sea. 17 Filipinos, 5 Dutch nationals and 1 Surinamese were arrested. Sierra Leonean authorities are investigating the circumstances.