By Ragan M Conteh

The Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police, Fayia Sellu has informed Members of Parliament that, in order to show commitment in the fight against kush, 9 police officers who were caught red-handed smoking kush have been dismissed, 5 have been sent to jail while 5 more are currently under police disciplinary committee and they will be dismissed if found wanting.

The Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police cited dismay over the judicial system in handling drug cases in courts.

IGP made the disclosure on Monday at Committee room one in Parliament when giving the status report on drug abuse.

The police boss pointed out that the police force have a zero tolerance on drug consumption, adding that as force they are always trying to work very hard to end police unprofessionalism.

The police boss stated that as law enforcement agency they had made frantic effort to address the drug abuse but still have challenges with the judicial system.

He said the police had arrested several drug importers and dealers and charged them to court but ended up seeing such people on the streets.

He cited that they have arrested 37 cartoons of tramadol with 34,000 fake dollars but since those dollars went to the bank for investigation, they never came back and the authorities have not got on to the police.

IGP Sellu revealed that recently the police arrested 102 cartoons of tramadol and many other drug Barons but all these guys ended up traversing the streets with no substantial fine of jail term.

The police boss spoke on selective dispensation of justices in the court system, stating that, the police alone cannot fight to end drug abuse.

The challenge IG Sellu highlighted is that each time they arrested a container of drug, the owner of the container will never show up.

“The judiciary are making the system looking very funny. I want us all authorities to look at ways to establish a Fast-track court that will solely look into drug cases,” he said.

The Inspector General of police said that in other to undertake proper measures to end kush and other harmful substance state authorities should also look into the activities of factories that imported the chemicals used in processing the Kush.

He said as police, their functions, are to enforce rules and regulations, adding that the “illegal and rampant movement of the drug” has become major threat.

IGP also disclosed that the Sierra Leone Port and Harbour Authority has critical role to play to end harmful drug importation into country.

He maintained that as police boss he is constantly engaging his officers to be professional as well as desisting from taking drug or consuming it.

He therefore called for a multi-sectoral approach to end the killer drug from being imported into the country.

In his statement, the Chief Whip of ruling SLPP in Parliament; Hon Dickson Rogers also shared his experience about the deadly Kush smoked by youth and how it is ravaging young lives in the country.

Hon Rogers went further that there are instance police personnel arresting Kush dealers and give to their wives to sell in their communities.

Other MPs highlighted serious issues surrounding the Kush intake and other drugs in the country, which last week saw the death of 32 youth, 24 men and 8 women.

They therefore called on police officers to be professional and work towards saving lives of Sierra Leoneans especially those Kush consumers.