Liberia Seizes US$317.7M Cocaine Cache
Reported by: Prince Saah
Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia’s Joint National Security Investigative Task Force has uncovered what authorities describe as one of the largest cocaine seizures in the country’s history, confiscating 3,971 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at an estimated US$317.68 million in Duazon, Margibi County, while exposing what investigators believe is a sophisticated international drug trafficking network that has operated in the country for more than six years.
Attorney General and Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh announced Wednesday that the drugs were recovered during a court-authorized search conducted on July 21 at a property in the VOA Community along the Roberts International Airport Highway following intelligence gathered from an ongoing narcotics investigation. The operation led to the arrest of two foreign nationals, a Serbian citizen and a dual Colombian-Spanish national, who are currently being questioned.
Authorities declined to release their identities, saying doing so could compromise the ongoing investigation. Security officers also confiscated equipment believed to have supported the operation, including diving suits, a firearm, GPS tracking devices, a drone, Starlink satellite internet equipment, and other materials now undergoing forensic examination.
According to the Justice Minister, investigators have uncovered substantial evidence indicating the existence of an organized, well-financed transnational narcotics syndicate with suspected operations in Liberia spanning more than six years. Authorities are now tracing the origin of the cocaine shipment, its intended destination, financial transactions, transportation routes and possible domestic and international collaborators, while working closely with foreign law enforcement agencies to identify additional suspects.
As part of the government’s crackdown, officials announced that the Duazon property where the cocaine was discovered will be confiscated under Liberia’s Amended Controlled Drug and Substance Act of 2023. The government has also ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle allegedly used to transport the drugs and directed investigators to begin confiscation proceedings against the residence of Paul King on V.P. Road, where authorities say cocaine seized on June 8 had been stored before being transported toward Roberts International Airport.
Cllr. Tweh cautioned the public against speculation or prematurely assigning guilt to individuals who have not been formally charged, emphasizing that all persons under investigation remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring Liberia is no longer used as a transit hub, storage facility, or operational base for international drug traffickers, declaring that no individual, regardless of status, nationality, or political influence, would be shielded where credible evidence establishes criminal responsibility.
Describing narcotics trafficking as a direct threat to national security, public institutions, and the future of Liberia’s youth, the attorney general urged citizens to report credible information to security agencies and assured that witnesses would be protected as the investigation widens.
Officials said additional arrests, laboratory test results, and formal criminal charges are expected as investigators continue efforts to dismantle what they believe is one of Liberia’s most extensive international drug trafficking networks.
