The suspect arrested in Sierra Leone with bomb-making materials may have potential connections to terrorists in the Middle East, as stated by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernoh Bah. He mentioned that there have been previous accusations of individuals in the country having ties to terrorist groups like Hizbollah in the Middle East.
Chernoh Bah revealed this information during an interview on Radio Democracy’s Breakfast Show, Good Morning Salone, on July 15th. He explained that security forces in Sierra Leone conducted a covert operation leading to the arrest of seven suspects. Bah noted that these security measures were put in place since March of last year, emphasizing the recent success of the covert operation which resulted in the apprehension of the individuals. The security forces discovered that four containers of bomb-making materials had been imported into the country, with two bombs in the final stages of production seized. According to the minister a significant quantity of drugs, including captagon (also known as relief) valued at over 94 million dollars, commonly used by ISIS fighters in conflict zones like Syria, was found at Hussein Antar’s residence. This drug is known to provide energy for prolonged fighting without the need for food intake. Around 7 million pills were uncovered during the operation.
The seven arrested individuals were identified as Hussien Antar, Jamal Antar, Ibrahim Bashiru Kamara, Samuel Marah, Abdul Aziz Kamara, Allieu Kamara, and Akmed Bangura. Chernoh Bah specified that these suspects are Sierra Leonean citizens, some of whom hold dual citizenship. A press release was issued by the security forces to inform the public about these developments.
