Press release
DLEAG operatives stationed in the West Coast Region conducted a sting operation that resulted in the discovery of a suspected skunk cannabis cultivation centre at Brusubi on Saturday 25 September 2021 around 20:00 onwards.
Leon Washington Thayard Hall who is the principal suspect was arrested at a restaurant opposite Atlas petrol station at Brusubi with a wrap of suspected skunk cannabis. He is said to be a British national and a resident of Tranquil, Brusubi. A caretaker working for him was also arrested by another team at a different location. Both operations took place simultaneously.
Thereafter, the team left for the suspected cultivation site at a residence in Brusubi where they discovered three different rooms used to cultivate what is believed to be suspected skunk cannabis. At the said residence in Brusubi, they have all their equipment, manure, fertilisers and heavy-duty lamps used to cultivate the said suspected cannabis. From the cultivation site at Brusubi, the team proceeded to Mr. Leon’s residence at Brusubi Tranquil where six wraps of suspected skunk cannabis wrapped in a medicine like plastic sachets were discovered.
The officers also discovered some material and equipment, manure and heavy-duty lights used to process the said suspected skunk cannabis at his residence at tranquil. Mr. Leon from preliminary findings is believed to be using the other residence at Brusubi Phase one extension purposely for cultivation while he resides at Tranquil.
He together with the care taker who is a Senegalese national from Ziguinchor, Casamance by the name Abdoul Majid Balde are in custody while investigation into the matter continues.
It is however interesting to note that Mr. Leon is a person who presents himself as a philanthropist and a businessman. He claims to be selling puppies (dogs) and also claims to be among the trustees and founder of Hand on Africa, a UK-based charitable foundation.
While we welcome anyone who might want to contribute to the socio-economic development of this country, we must also be very careful about some of these people and do proper background check on them. Similarly, we must put in place robust and proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess what they do. These dealers are smart and continue to change their modus operandi. They will always want to have a front business as a guise to the real illicit trade that they are engaged in. It is without doubt that someone who wants to sincerely help society will not engage in anything that poisons people or hinder the growth and development of the people and society at large.
Similarly, we continue to call on heads of households and those concern with managing premises to be very cautious of the people they let their properties to. Equally, they must also supervise these places and not just only limit their supervision to the physical structures and rent collection. Well with this case, if one enters any of the three rooms, the nefarious activity taking place there is in the open.
Not long ago in 2020 operatives nabbed another British national in the person of Tyrone Michael Ennis for similar offence of cultivating skunk cannabis in his residence at Sutusinsang.
We must all therefore work together as partners in development. Let us all be vigilant of suspicious criminal activities taking place within our immediate and extended surroundings. It is not possible for law enforcement operatives to be everywhere and at every time. But if we make it our duty to be very alert, report to the appropriate authority and hold such authority to task, it can make a huge impact on the crusade against drugs and all forms of criminality and criminal related activities in the country.
