Sierra Leone’s security forces have arrested 18 persons and detained an estimated 400 others in a series of coordinated operations against a suspected international cybercrime network in Freetown and Kenema.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, the early-morning raids were carried out Tuesday in collaboration with the National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA). The operations were intelligence-led and involved seizing a large quantity of electronic equipment and other items, authorities said.
The recovered equipment included 1,206 mobile phones, more than 500 computers and monitors, laptops, nine central processing units and five servers. The officers also seized 301 passports and 339 SIM cards. Of the SIM cards, 289 were international, and 50 were local.
The Ministry also listed an iPad, translator glasses, a smartwatch, chargers and other accessories, 22 dry-cell batteries and an automatic voltage regulator.
The Ministry said the detainees included Sierra Leonean citizens and foreign nationals of African and Asian origin. The involvement of people from other countries has raised concerns that the alleged operation may have been part of a cross-border criminal network. But authorities have not yet revealed exactly what activities the group is accused of doing.
Investigators are trying to determine how the network operated, its international links and sources of funding, and to identify any individuals who may have organised, financed or facilitated its activities in Sierra Leone.
“The Government will not permit Sierra Leone to be used as a base for cybercrime,” the Ministry said in its statement. The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, NaTCA and the security services would also remain vigilant against the misuse of the country’s communication infrastructure for criminal purposes, it said.
The Government said the inquiry would be “thorough” and that those found culpable would be prosecuted under the law. The public was also called upon to report any suspected cybercrime or suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
The arrests and detentions mark a major step in the investigation, though officials have not said whether they have filed additional charges or taken further court action.
