By Nelson Manneh
A joint security team comprising personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency-The Gambia (DLEA-G), The Gambia, Immigration Department (GID) and a backup team from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) based in Brikama, conducted an operation on Wednesday, 6 March 2024, which led to the arrest of fifty-one foreign nationals in Faraba, in the WCR.
Ousman Saidybah, the spokesperson of DLEA-G, said two out of the fifty-one suspects arrested were found with various types and quantities of suspected ‘Kush’, tramadol and cannabis sativa. He added that the other suspects were arrested for lack of proper documentation regarding the legality of their residence in the country.
Saidybah said forty-nine of the foreign nationals arrested are Sierra Leoneans, with one Nigerian and one Liberian. He said the arrest of the foreign nationals followed an intelligence report filed by DLEA-G field agents posted in the West Coast Region, after receiving tip off about the activities of some foreign nationals said to be engaged in rampant open drug abuse and other suspicious criminal related activities.
“Our operatives swiftly conducted surveillance and filed an intelligence report regarding their activities. Guided by a critical evaluation and analysis of the intelligence report, an operational plan was developed to raid the area,” he said.
DLEA-G’s Public Relation Officer said the raid conducted by the joint security team resulted in the arrest of the said foreign nationals around the vicinity of the University of The Gambia (UTG) Faraba campus. He said two of the suspects were found with different types and quantities of suspected ‘Kush’, tramadol and cannabis sativa, while the rest were found without any proper documentation regarding the legality of their residence in the country. Saidybah said one Saikou Kandeh was found in possession of twenty-seven wraps of suspected ‘Kush’ and seven tablets of tramadol while James Koroma was found in possession of three smoking joints of suspected cannabis sativa.
“The two suspects were found in possession of prohibited and controlled drugs and were taken into custody by DLEA-G while the remaining forty-nine suspects were taken into custody by the GID’s Brikama Station for further processing and investigation regarding their documentation and residential status in the country,” he said.
He said DLEA-G together with the entire security agencies are committed to jointly work together in keeping the country safe, secure and drug free.
