Police officers stationed at the Maforkie Checkpoint intercepted a vehicle transporting suspected cannabis sativa on Thursday, 6 February 2026. Two individuals are now in custody as investigations continue at the Port Loko Police Station.
According to police sources, the vehicle, bearing registration number AVE 473, was travelling from Freetown to Kambia when it was stopped for routine checks. The driver, Abu Bakarr Kamara of Waterloo, was behind the wheel at the time of the interception. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of twenty one parcels of suspected cannabis sativa concealed inside.
Following the discovery, a second suspect, Anita Koroma of Peninsula Road, Waterloo, was arrested in connection with the consignment. Both suspects, the recovered exhibits, and the vehicle have since been handed over to the Port Loko Police for further investigation.
On the surface, this appears to be another successful checkpoint interception. But incidents like this invite deeper reflection. Maforkie sits along a corridor that has, over the years, remained attractive to traffickers moving illicit substances between the capital and border districts. The method is often the same. Ordinary vehicles. Routine routes. The assumption that familiarity will breed invisibility.
This seizure reinforces one simple fact. Checkpoints still matter. Consistent enforcement, even during routine stops, disrupts criminal confidence. Most illicit movements succeed not because they are sophisticated, but because they rely on predictability and fatigue within the system.
At the same time, arrests alone do not solve the problem. Every intercepted consignment raises questions about the network behind it. Who financed the operation. Who coordinated the movement. Who was meant to receive the parcels in Kambia. Until investigations reach beyond couriers and drivers, the trade simply regenerates with new faces.
Read Also: Police Launch Manhunt After Pump Attendant Shot Dead in Makeni
For the public, it is important to allow investigations to run their course. Suspects remain suspects until the law concludes otherwise. For law enforcement, the task is bigger than a single seizure. It is about sustained pressure, intelligence sharing, and removing the comfort traffickers have developed along known routes.
Today, twenty one parcels did not reach their destination. That matters. What will matter more is what happens next.
