Press Release | 27th October 2026
Sierra Leone’s security forces, working with the National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA), have arrested 18 people and detained approximately 400 in coordinated, intelligence-led raids targeting a suspected international cybercrime network operating in Freetown and Kenema.
The operations uncovered more than 1,200 mobile phones, hundreds of computers and monitors, servers, SIM cards and passports. Those detained include Sierra Leoneans and foreign nationals of African and Asian origin.
The scale of the operations and the materials recovered raise serious concerns about an organized, cross-border criminal enterprise. Investigations will establish the network’s activities, its international connections, how it was financed, and who organized or facilitated its operations in Sierra Leone.
Items seized include:
- 1,206 mobile phones;
- Over 500 computers and monitors, along with laptops, nine CPUs and five servers;
- 301 passports;
- 339 SIM cards: 289 international SIM cards and 50 local SIM cards;
- Other electronic equipment, including an iPad, translator glasses, a smartwatch, chargers and accessories;
- 22 dry-cell batteries and one automatic voltage regulator.
Sierra Leone will not be used as a base for cybercrime. The Government, through the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, NaTCA and the security services, remains vigilant against the exploitation of the country’s communications infrastructure for criminal purposes. Investigations will be thorough, and anyone found responsible will face prosecution in accordance with the law.
The public is encouraged to report suspected cybercrime and suspicious operations to the appropriate authorities. We will release further verified information as investigations progress.
