Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador from neighboring Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were found in an embassy vehicle.
On Monday, Guinean authorities seized a vehicle belonging to the Sierra Leone embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing “substances suspected to be cocaine,” Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba said.
“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr. Alimamy Bangur, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident,” he added.
The recalled envoy was not in the car and was not arrested, the minister said.
“It has not been proven that the ambassador is involved in this trade,” Kabba said.
About $2,000 (£1,600) in cash was found along with seven suitcases, said the minister, who did not specify the weight of the suspected drugs.
He said the two West African countries were cooperating in a “thorough” investigation into the incident, promising that all responsible parties would be held accountable.
“Anyone found guilty of violating Sierra Leonean and international drug trafficking laws will face the full force of the law.”
West Africa is the main transit point for smuggling cocaine from Latin America, where it is produced, to Europe, one of the main drug markets.
But some medicines are also consumed locally.
Last April, the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio declared drug abuse in the country a national emergency.
Kush, a psychoactive mixture of addictive substances, has been prevalent in the country for years.
Local communities have called on the government to tackle this scourge and help them deal with the problem of drug addicts.
