Claim: A post on social media claims that several kilograms of cocaine were discovered at Lungi Airport while being transported to Europe, leading to the arrest and detention of Brussels Airlines and ASKY Airlines staff by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Verdict: False. The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) has refuted the claim, confirming that no drugs were intercepted on any aircraft at Freetown International Airport, Lungi.
Full Text
A social media post shared by a Facebook user claimed that several kilograms of cocaine bound for Europe had been intercepted at Freetown International Airport (Lungi Airport).
The post further alleged that staff members of Brussels Airlines and ASKY Airlines had been arrested and detained by the CID. The post generated significant engagement within hours, receiving 1,300 reactions, 189 comments, and 47 shares (archived here). A similar claim was made here as well.
Given the serious nature of the allegations concerning aviation security and international drug trafficking, DUBAWA conducted a verification to determine their accuracy.
Verification
DUBAWA contacted Benjamin Moseray, a member of the media team at the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), to verify the claim’s authenticity. Mr Moseray confirmed that the viral claim was completely false.
He further directed DUBAWA to an official public notice issued by the SLCAA. According to the official press release signed by the Director General of the SLCAA:
‘The claims circulating on social media alleging that a large cache of illicit drugs was intercepted on board an aircraft at Freetown International Airport, Lungi, are false and baseless. No drug interception took place on any aircraft operated by Brussels Airlines, Asky Airlines, or any other airline operating at the airport.’
The SLCAA urged members of the public and news organisations to refrain from sharing unverified information and to rely only on official state communications.
Additionally, DUBAWA checked the official websites and social media accounts of Brussels Airlines and ASKY and found no information, news, or statements related to the claim.
Conclusion
The claim that kilograms of cocaine were found at Lungi Airport, leading to the detention of Brussels Airlines and ASKY Airlines staff, is false. The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) has officially confirmed that no such incident took place.