Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) is Director General, Musayeroh BarrieThe Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority’s (SLCAA) terse denial has come under fire after Belgian authorities claim to have intercepted a large amount of cocaine linked to a Brussels Airlines flight departing Freetown International Airport (Lungi) on July 30. On July 31, airport staff and police at Brussels Airport detained two suitcases in the baggage hall, which Belgian officials claim contained approximately 51 kilograms of cocaine. According to Belgian reports, the luggage was transported from Freetown via Guinea to Brussels.
On August 2, the SLCAA issued a statement calling previous reports of a drug interception “false and baseless,” stating that “no such drug interception has occurred onboard any aircraft operated by Brussels Airlines or any other airline operating at the Freetown International Airport.” The Belgian seizure, as well as members of the Sierra Leonean public, have challenged that denial, viewing the sequence of events as contradictory.
Critics and commentators accuse the SLCAA of misleading the public and failing to investigate or provide a clear account of how the luggage was transported through Lungi Airport. “Instead of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority investigating the incident, they rushed to issue a press release denying the incident; now, the same flight that left Freetown was intercepted in less than 24 hours by Belgian authorities,” one Sierra Leonean said. Others have suggested that the initial official denial calls into question the airport’s oversight and accountability, despite the fact that no SLCAA officials have been charged with wrongdoing.
The dispute revolves around two competing claims: the SLCAA’s public statement that no interception occurred on flights departing from Freetown, and Belgian authorities’ assertion that the seized suitcases were linked to the Freetown-originating flight. Observers are calling for an independent investigation, increased cooperation between Sierra Leonean and international law enforcement, and greater transparency from airport authorities regarding baggage handling and security procedures.
As investigations in Belgium continue, pressure is mounting on the SLCAA to clarify its position, produce relevant records, and explain the basis for its August 2 denial so that public trust in the country’s aviation and security systems can be restored.
