The UK has rejected claims that it is a major source of chemicals used to produce Kush, a synthetic drug that has become a major public health and security concern in Sierra Leone.
The British High Commission in Freetown said it had found no evidence that chemicals associated with Kush production were being imported from the UK into Sierra Leone.
The statement follows comments by Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, a strategic communications adviser at Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education, who said the Netherlands, UK and China were among the leading sources of chemicals used in drug production.
In a clarification issued on Monday, the British High Commission said it had reviewed allegations contained in a February 2025 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
“We refute this accusation,” the commission said.
The UK acknowledged that marshmallow leaf is occasionally imported from Britain to Sierra Leone and has reportedly been used in the production of Kush.
However, it said marshmallow leaf in its natural state was not a psychoactive substance and was legal in both countries.
The High Commission said it took allegations of drug trafficking seriously and would investigate credible evidence of criminal activity linked to Britain.
It called on the Sierra Leonean government to share any evidence of UK-linked criminal activity, saying this could lead to investigations and possible action by British authorities.
The commission said it remained willing to work with Sierra Leonean authorities to investigate and prosecute criminal activity originating from the UK.
It also encouraged Sierra Leone to investigate alleged drug-related criminal activity within the country.
Kush has become a major concern in Sierra Leone, particularly because of its impact on young people. President Julius Maada Bio declared drug abuse a national public health emergency in April 2024, following growing concern over the effects of Kush and other drugs.
The full scale of Kush-related deaths remains unclear because there is no comprehensive national death or hospitalisation tally. A 2025 study of 312 patients treated for suspected acute Kush poisoning at four treatment centres recorded nine deaths, while 156 patients required supplemental oxygen and 11 needed mechanical ventilation.
Freetown City Council separately said it collected 220 bodies between January and October 2025 that it linked to Kush. That figure has not been established as a medically confirmed Kush death toll.
The debate over Kush has also focused on where the substances used in its production originate. The British High Commission’s latest statement comes amid wider efforts by Sierra Leone and international partners to identify and disrupt the supply chains behind the drug.
The UK said tackling the problem would require governments and other partners to work together to disrupt drug trafficking and address the effects of Kush use.
