By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), under the dynamic and result-oriented leadership of its Director General, Madam Musayeroh Barrie, has held a crucial engagement with workers at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi, on Monday 10th November, 2025, to reinforce the national fight against drug trafficking. The meeting, which brought together airport staff and other aviation stakeholders, focused on strengthening vigilance, accountability and integrity within the airport environment in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s directive to intensify efforts in curbing drug-related activities across the country.
Addressing the gathering, Madam Musayeroh Barrie underscored the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding Sierra Leone’s airspace and international reputation. She emphasized that the airport is a vital national asset that provides livelihoods for hundreds of Sierra Leoneans and warned that anyone found aiding or abetting the trafficking of drugs through the airport would face the full force of the law. “Most of you must have heard the hard directive President Bio gave a few weeks ago regarding the national fight against drugs. As a regulator of airport operations, it is important that we have this conversation, since the fight against drugs has taken a new momentum after the President’s directive,” she stated.
Madam Musayeroh Barrie praised the efforts of airport staff who have demonstrated patriotism and professionalism by resisting compromise and ensuring that Sierra Leone remains vigilant in preventing illicit drug movements. “From August 2024 to September 2025, the level of drug interceptions we have recorded at this airport has been remarkable. This is the result of your uncompromising work and we as a regulator are proud of you,” she affirmed. “For the first time in our country’s history, we are intercepting drugs here before they leave our shores. In the past, we only learned about interceptions in other countries, but today it is the opposite; Sierra Leone is now informing others to be thorough in their screening.”
She, however, cautioned that a few individuals within the airport community have attempted to undermine those achievements by prioritizing personal gain over national interest. “We will continue to push for everyone in this room to desist from aiding and abetting the transit of drugs through the airport. If you are caught, your punishment will be the same as that of the trafficker; life imprisonment. That is the law, not my words,” Madam Musayeroh Barrie warned. “Anyone who truly loves this airport and this country should not frown at the punishment given to defaulters.”
Honourable Hindolo Moiwo Gevao, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Sport, who also addressed the session, commended the SLCAA’s proactive leadership and reiterated the Government’s determination to stamp out drug trafficking. He explained that recent legal reforms had fortified Sierra Leone’s justice system against drug crimes. “Before now, we had the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965, but it has been reviewed. We now have the Criminal Procedure Act of 2023,” he noted. “The Chief Justice has created a special court that sits on Saturdays, with five magistrates appointed to handle drug-related cases and five judges assigned to hear them at the High Court. If found guilty, the punishment is life imprisonment.”
He further cited the National Drug Control Act of 2008, which prescribes severe penalties for drug offenses. “Part Three of the Drugs Abuse, Drug Trafficking and Related Offences Act, Section 7(c), stipulates that anyone who prepares, imports, exports, sells or in any way deals with prohibited drugs commits an offense punishable by life imprisonment. Aiding and abetting such acts is equally a crime,” he stressed.
Adding a practical perspective, a senior official of the Freetown International Airport, who addressed the workers, urged them to exercise caution and professionalism in their daily duties. “When you are working around the airport, ensure that you do not engage excessively with passengers or carry their bags because you might be unaware of what is inside,” he advised. “You all know your job descriptions. Even if your superiors give you an order that goes against your duties, you must decline it.”
The engagement ended with renewed commitment among airport staff to uphold integrity and cooperate fully with the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority in maintaining a secure, transparent and law-abiding airport environment. Under Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s leadership, the SLCAA continues to champion reforms that promote discipline, safety and national pride; ensuring that the Freetown International Airport remains not only a gateway to the world but also a model of accountability and excellence in Sierra Leone’s aviation sector.
