18 Arrested, About 400 Detained in Raids on Suspected Cybercrime Network

Sierra Leone's security forces have arrested 18 people and detained approximately 400 others in coordinated raids on what the government describes as a suspected international cybercrime network operating in Freetown and Kenema.

Details of the operation were set out in a press release issued by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. According to the ministry, the raids were carried out by the security services working together with NaTCA, the national telecommunications regulator, and uncovered a large stock of electronic devices, telecommunications equipment and travel documents that investigators believe are relevant to the inquiry.

The scale of the seizures is striking. The ministry listed 1,206 mobile phones, more than 500 computers and monitors, 301 passports and 339 SIM cards. Of the SIM cards, 289 were international and 50 were local.

Investigators also recovered laptops, nine central processing units, five servers, an iPad, a pair of translator glasses, a smartwatch, chargers and other accessories, 22 dry-cell batteries and an automatic voltage regulator.

According to the ministry, those detained include Sierra Leoneans as well as foreign nationals of African and Asian origin. The release did not name any of the people arrested or detained, and it did not say whether anyone has yet been charged.

Officials were careful to stress that the investigation is at an early stage. The ministry said authorities have yet to establish the full extent of the suspected network's activities, its international connections, and how its operations were financed or facilitated. Investigators are expected to work to identify the individuals and organisations behind the operation and to determine what it was doing in Sierra Leone.

The volume of foreign SIM cards, passports and computer equipment has nonetheless raised concern that an organised, cross-border criminal enterprise may have been using the country as a base. The number of people detained, around 400, is far larger than the 18 who have been formally arrested, and the ministry did not say how long those detained would be held or on what basis they would be released or charged.

In its statement, the government reaffirmed its commitment to preventing the country's communications infrastructure from being exploited for criminal purposes. It said the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, NaTCA and the security services would continue to monitor and respond to suspected cybercrime.

The government also said that anyone found responsible for criminal activities would face prosecution in accordance with the law.

The public has been urged to report suspected cybercrime and other suspicious operations to the appropriate agencies. The ministry said further verified information would be released as investigations progress.

Legal context: Sierra Leone's main law on computer-related offences is the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021, which sets out offences committed through computer systems and gives investigators powers to search for and seize digital evidence. Any person charged following these raids would be presumed innocent until proven guilty, a protection guaranteed by the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991. Those arrested are also entitled under the Constitution to be told the reasons for their arrest and to be brought before a court without undue delay. Lanbuk will follow the case as charges, if any, are filed.