Suitcases of suspected cocaine found in Sierra Leone embassy vehicle

Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador from neighbouring Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were found in an embassy vehicle.

On Monday, Guinean authorities impounded a vehicle belonging to Sierra Leone’s embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing “substances suspected to be cocaine”, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba said.

“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr Alimamy Bangura, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident,” he added.

The recalled envoy was not in the car and is not under arrest, the minister said.

“It has not been proven that the ambassador is involved in this trafficking,” Kabba said.

About $2,000 (£1,600) in cash was found along with the seven suitcases, according to the minister, who did not specify the weight of the suspected drugs.

He said the two West African countries were cooperating in a “thorough” investigation of the incident, pledging that all responsible parties would be held accountable.

“Anyone found guilty of breaking Sierra Leonean and international drug trafficking laws will face full force of the law.”

West Africa is a major transit point for the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America, where it is produced, to Europe, one of the drug’s main markets.

But some drugs are also being consumed locally.

Last April, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio declared drug abuse in the country a national emergency.

Kush, a psychoactive blend of addictive substances, has been prevalent in the country for years.

Local communities have called on the government to tackle the scourge and help them deal with drug users.

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