Freetown, Sierra Leone — Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah of the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 has remanded two Tanzanian businessmen, Mohamed Hassan Juma and Alfai Shabani Mkobela, following their arraignment on serious drug-related charges.
The pair faces four counts under the National Drug Control Act of 2008, including possession and collection of prohibited drugs without lawful authority. The charges stem from an incident on October 22, 2024, when authorities discovered 34 compressed parcels of cocaine in their possession at Freetown International Airport.
During the proceedings, the accused did not enter a plea, as they are undergoing a preliminary investigation. State Prosecutor A.B.N. Taylor Kamara, alongside Police Constable Alhaji Dauda Sandi of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), provided key testimony regarding the case. Kamara recounted that on October 23, 2024, he received a transfer case and inquiry files from the Airport Police Station, leading to the accused’s arrest on November 4, 2024.
The court heard that both individuals were questioned after being cautioned in English, with their responses documented and confirmed through thumbprints. These statements were submitted as exhibits during the hearing. A forensic analysis was requested shortly after the arrest, and the results, dated November 4, 2024, confirmed the nature of the substances involved.
Magistrate Jah ordered the accused to be held at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown, adjourning the case until September 10, 2025, for further proceedings.
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