Zambian Remanded Over Cocaine Trafficking Charges
A 46-year-old Zambian hairdresser, Sharod Mweemba, has been remanded at the Female Correctional Centre in Freetown following her appearance in the High Court on drug trafficking charges involving 1.9 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Mweemba appeared before Justice Adrian Fisher of High Court No. 1, facing four counts under Sierra Leone’s National Drugs Control Act, 2008. The charges relate to the unlawful possession, transportation, collection, and dealing of cocaine hydrochloride.
According to court documents, Mweemba was intercepted on June 24, 2026, at Freetown International Airport in Lungi. Authorities allegedly found two small pellets and one large pellet containing cocaine hydrochloride in her possession, with a total estimated weight of 1.9 kilogrammes.
Prosecutors allege that she collected the prohibited substance from a guest house in Freetown and transported it to the airport without legal authorization.
When the charges were formally read in court, Mweemba entered a plea of not guilty to all counts.
During questioning by Justice Fisher regarding her travel context, Mweemba stated that an individual offering her employment had instructed her to retrieve the package in Freetown. She claimed she was required to transport the package to Dakar as a condition for securing the job.
State prosecutor Musa Pious Sesay Esq. Jr. requested a brief adjournment to establish contact with the Zambian Embassy, following guidance from the bench.
Justice Fisher ordered Mweemba to remain in custody pending the continuation of the trial. The case has been adjourned to October 23, 2026.
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