Unauthorized Landing: Six Under Police Investigation

The unauthorized landing of the fourteen-seater aircraft at Freetown International Airport on September 20, 2024, raised concerns due to the nature of its flight and the suspicious behavior of the crew. The aircraft, which was flying from Liberia to Mexico, landed without a proper permit and was discovered to be operating under a fake registration number. The crew falsely claimed a radio failure as the reason for the landing. According to the Sierra Leonean authorities, the flight's captain later revealed that he was paid $20,000 for the trip.

Sierra Leone's Ministry of Information and Civic Education confirmed that a thorough search of the aircraft yielded no illegal items such as drugs or contraband. However, the suspicious circumstances surrounding the flight raised alarms, especially given Sierra Leone’s position on international drug trafficking routes. The aircraft is currently being held by the Office of National Security, and six people are in custody, including four foreign nationals—three Mexicans and a Spaniard—as well as two Sierra Leonean air traffic controllers.

Sierra Leone has been identified as a transshipment point for drug trafficking and money laundering operations. These activities often involve routes between South America or Asia to Europe, with West African nations like Sierra Leone being used as waypoints. Despite no drugs being found on the plane, the involvement of Sierra Leone in the broader context of international trafficking is a concern. The U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs continues to monitor such developments closely.

This incident is likely to prompt further investigations, especially around the roles played by the detained Sierra Leonean air traffic controllers and any potential links to organized crime, despite the absence of contraband on?the?aircraft.