Government Denies Links to $812M Cocaine Shipment, Says Vessel Departed Without Illegal Cargo

The Government of Sierra Leone has strongly rejected allegations linking the country to a massive cocaine shipment intercepted by Spanish authorities, insisting that the vessel involved left Freetown without any illegal cargo on board.

Authorities maintain that there is no evidence connecting Sierra Leone’s port operations to the reported seizure of narcotics valued at approximately $812 million, stressing that all standard security and inspection procedures were properly followed before the vessel’s departure.

The clarification follows reports from Spanish law enforcement that the cargo vessel MV Arconian was intercepted at sea on May 1 with an alleged 30,215 kilograms of cocaine hidden on board. Spanish authorities said the interception took place about 430 nautical miles south of the Canary Islands.

However, Sierra Leone’s Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), under the Sierra Leone Police, says preliminary investigations do not support claims that the illicit drugs originated from Freetown.