AYV News, March 20, 2024
In a recent operation, the Sierra Leone Police, Kabala Divisional Headquarters, has intercepted fifty-seven individuals suspected of being trafficked to Mali.
Acting under the directive of the National Task Force on Human Trafficking, the police detained twenty-six adult females, fourteen male children, and seventeen female children on Saturday, March 16, 2024.
The intercepted group, ranging from two months to fifteen years of age, was allegedly en route to Mali via a route that passed through Freetown, Makeni, and Kabala, with intentions to cross the porous borders of Koinadugu district into neighboring Guinea.
Two individuals, Mohamed Amadu Jalloh of 19 City Road, Portee, and Mohamed Sankoh of 5 Coker Lane, Portee, both from Freetown, have been apprehended for orchestrating the trafficking operation. They face charges related to organizing the illegal transportation of these individuals.
Authorities are currently conducting investigations into the matter. The National Referral Mechanism, alongside the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), Family Support Unit (FSU), and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) within the Sierra Leone Police, are leading the probe.
Additionally, the presumed victims are being provided with psychosocial support through the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Task Force Secretariat.
This interception underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals from falling prey to such criminal activities.
