By Ragan M Conteh

As Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia are grappling with an increasing number of young people becoming addicted to substances including Kush, tramadol, the security forces have stepped up arrest on drug barons.

The abuse of these drugs has already killed several young people in the region.

In Sierra Leone, as part of ongoing efforts to crackdown on Kush and other dangerous substances, the police have arrested 130 suspected drug dealers during 174 major raids conducted between 20–26 October, said CSP Michael J. K. Laggah, head of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU).

The police said these suspects were arrested with large quantities of Kush and Tramadol from different parts of the country.

The police also informed that a Guinean national named Laurencia Kollie was also roped in after being found with 91 pellets of suspected cocaine at Jendema checkpoint in Pujehun district.

Meanwhile, 51 of them have been charged to court while 79 are still under investigation, the police said.

The police stated that its anti-drug strategy combines tough law enforcement measures with community sensitisation and public education and urged citizens to report drug-related activities.