By Politico Staff Writer
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) is investigating a suspected attempt to smuggle cartridges into the country, involving a member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), who is at large.
The police say 10 boxes of shotgun cartridges, totaling two thousand five hundred rounds, were intercepted at a checkpoint in Kambia along the main road leading to the border with Guinea. The incident which happened last Thursday has led to the arrest of two men who were travelling on a motor bike with the ammunition. Another suspect riding a bike with Guinean registration number plate was said to have fled from the scene.
According to a Police Public Notice, the suspects they have in their custody are Alusine Kamara of Ropolon Village, Rokupr and Ibrahim Kamara, who is a resident of the settlement where the checkpoint is located. The notice added that the RSLAF soldier, only identified as private Sankoh, who is said to be attached to the 11th Infantry Battalion in Kambia District, is viewed as an accomplice to the smuggling of the ammunition.
The SLP said it had engaged official protocols so that it could be able to reach the soldier.
Politico contacted the Communications Unit of the RSLAF, but a spokesman said he didn’t have enough information about the issue and didn’t get back to us on time.
The cartridges are believed to be the ones used on shotguns for game hunting countryside. The incident has however raised security concerns from the public, especially with the upsurge in hate audio messages being circulated on social media.
Sources say the cartridges were being transported to Kenema District in the eastern region of Sierra Leone.
Guards or Rangers protecting animals against poachers in forest reserves in various parts of the country, especially in the Kenema which is home to a major forest reserve – the Gola Rainforest - have faced countless incidences of animals being killed by poachers, mostly for food. They usually use shotguns to hunt the animals. This has angered conservationists, including authorities at the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA).
The forest guards have often claimed that the poachers come across the borders of the neighboring states of Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Large areas in the provinces have been designated as reserves to protect rare and endangered species. Places like the Kangari Hills Forest Reserves, covering parts of Kunike and Gbonkolenken chiefdoms in the Tonkolili district and Valunia chiefdom in Bo District, as well as the Gola Rainforest that runs through Kenema, Pujehun and Kailahun districts, have some of the most attractive animal species. The Red Colobus monkey, Pygmy hippopotamus, Duiker zebra and the Forest buffalo are among the most threatened species in the country.
The police say they will continue their investigations into the boxes of cartridges.
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