By Joseph Momoh, Reporter D.S
FREETOWN — The United States Government has trained 63 border and security officers from Sierra Leone and Liberia to strengthen the fight against human trafficking, travel document fraud and imposter detection.
The training was conducted in September 2026 along the Sierra Leone–Liberia border by the Overseas Criminal Investigations (OCI) Unit of the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
According to information released on Wednesday, 14th October 2026, the programme equipped officers with practical techniques to identify suspected traffickers, detect individuals travelling under false identities and respond to suspicious activities at border crossings, using real-life cases to demonstrate how criminal networks exploit borders and travel documents.
The initiative also provided a platform for Sierra Leonean and Liberian security personnel to discuss information-sharing and strengthen inter-agency cooperation, a move the US said would enhance regional security while protecting US citizens and safeguarding the integrity of American travel documents.
The OCI programme, which operates in 115 locations worldwide, focuses on investigating and disrupting crimes involving fraudulent US passports, visas and identity documents. It provides specialised training to international partners on travel document security features, fraudulent document identification, imposter detection and suspicious traveller profiling. To date, it has trained about 25,400 foreign partners and helped disrupt human smuggling networks, intercept suspected foreign terrorist fighters and apprehend wanted fugitives.
The latest training builds on existing security cooperation between Sierra Leone and Liberia. In November 2025, both countries signed a joint communiqué committing to stronger collaboration against cross-border crimes through intelligence sharing, joint training and discussions around establishing a Mano River Union Police Chiefs Committee.
It also reinforces earlier national efforts. In July 2026, the Sierra Leone Police, in collaboration with INTERPOL, organised a three-day capacity-building programme aimed at improving investigators’ ability to identify and investigate trafficking-related crimes.
During that engagement, Deputy Inspector General of Police Andrew Mustapha Kamara highlighted the increasing sophistication of trafficking networks and stressed the importance of international cooperation and joint operations with the Liberia National Police, particularly along the Mano River Union corridor.
Authorities say the training of the 63 officers represents another step towards improving border surveillance, detecting fraudulent travel documents and strengthening coordination among security institutions in both countries.
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