By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
The Sierra Leone Police has teamed up with INTERPOL to roll out a three-day intensive training in Freetown aimed at sharpening the country’s fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The workshop, which began this week, has drawn investigators from across the country. The focus is on practical skills in case management, intelligence gathering, and cross-border collaboration to disrupt transnational criminal networks operating in the region.
The programme comes on the heels of a courtesy call by INTERPOL Regional Specialist Madam Baraka Dankassoua on Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu. The two discussed boosting intelligence sharing, strengthening police capacity, and improving joint responses to organised crime.
Opening the session, Madam Dankassoua warned that human trafficking remains a complex and growing threat across Sierra Leone and West Africa, with women and children bearing the brunt. She said the training is designed to give investigators modern tools to identify trafficking cases, dismantle criminal networks, and improve coordination between security agencies.
Representing the IGP, Deputy Inspector General Andrew Mustapha Kamara welcomed the INTERPOL delegation and thanked the organization for its continued support to the SLP. He said human resource development is central to the police’s reform agenda, noting that “effective policing depends on professionalism, knowledge, and continuous learning.”
DIG Kamara urged the officers to fully engage, share field experiences, and apply what they learn to improve investigations and victim protection. He stressed that crimes like trafficking and migrant smuggling cannot be fought in isolation, pointing to previous joint border operations with the Liberia National Police along the Mano River Union corridor that led to multiple arrests. He also highlighted ongoing cooperation efforts with ECOWAS states.
Describing trafficking and smuggling as lucrative criminal enterprises, DIG Kamara called on participants to use the training to strengthen intelligence work and safeguard vulnerable communities.
Also speaking, Head of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Sierra Leone, Detective Superintendent Mohamed Sidibay, urged officers to look beyond the surface of cases. He noted that seemingly minor offences such as obtaining money by false pretence can sometimes mask links to wider trafficking rings and require deeper investigation.
Head of Training, DSP Alpha Kamara, closed the opening remarks by encouraging participants to be active throughout the three days, saying the knowledge gained would be critical to improving law enforcement responses and protecting victims of exploitation.
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