Months after a container reportedly filled with kush leaves and chemical precursors was intercepted at Queen Elizabeth II Quay, questions continue to swirl around its disappearance, and the silence of the authorities has only deepened public concern.
The container, identified as TCNU 17239445G1 with Customs Reference 06234, was seized on May 13, 2025, during what officials described as a “routine inspection.”
Documents obtained by this medium indicate that it contained suspected kush-related materials and more than 90 gallons of chemicals believed to be used in producing the deadly synthetic drug currently ravaging Sierra Leone’s youth.
When contacted, Customs Commissioner Tennyson Bio confirmed that the container had been examined by his team but was subsequently handed over to the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) due to “the sensitive nature of its contents.” Since then, however, there has been no public update or official report on the status of the investigation — a silence that has only grown louder with time.
“It’s worrying that months have passed without transparency,” said a Freetown-based security analyst. “People are beginning to suspect that something is being covered up.”
Anti-drug advocates have also voiced frustration, warning that the lack of communication from both Customs and the Police “fuels public mistrust” and undermines the government’s commitment to tackling Sierra Leone’s growing narcotics crisis.
With the kush epidemic continuing to devastate communities and destroy young lives, calls are mounting for an independent probe into the missing container and a full audit of how it was handled between Customs and the SLP.
Until police leadership breaks its silence, the fate of container TCNU 17239445G1 — and the truth behind what happened after it was seized — remains a troubling mystery, leaving many Sierra Leoneans to wonder whether yet another key piece of evidence in the nation’s drug war has quietly disappeared.
