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MPC leader accuses administration of contradictions, slow progress in investigation of June 8 cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport
By: Staff Writer
Monrovia — Opposition leader Simeon Freeman has threatened to push for international sanctions against President Joseph Boakai, Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and other senior officials if Liberia’s investigation into a major cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport is not concluded within two weeks.
Freeman, head of the Movement for Progressive Change, made the demand Friday, saying the government’s handling of the case has been inconsistent and lacks transparency.
Background: The June 8 RIA seizure
On June 8, 2026, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency officers seized approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport. The drugs were estimated by authorities at about US$19 million, though some independent reports put the street value as high as US$50 million. It ranks among the largest narcotics busts recorded in Liberia in recent years and triggered immediate scrutiny of airport security and law enforcement procedures.
No public destruction of the drugs has been carried out, and authorities say they remain in secure storage while the investigation continues. The Ministry of Justice confirmed this week that at least one Person of Interest, GLS Menzies General Manager Paul J. King, has voluntarily surrendered to the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force.
Freeman: “The drug story isn’t adding up”
Freeman criticized the pace of the probe and the lack of public updates on key questions: who shipped the drugs, the intended recipient, the final destination, and how the consignment cleared airport security. He also questioned why weeks after the seizure, no arrests have been announced.
“The drug story isn’t adding up,” Freeman said. “Liberians deserve clear answers on whether traffickers have used our country before, and whether anyone inside government helped them.”
He accused authorities of refusing to release names of alleged suspects to protect the investigation, while quickly identifying the whistleblower who exposed the shipment — a move he said endangered the person’s safety.
Freeman further repeated an unverified claim that a mansion under construction in Foya may have been funded by drug money, though he presented no evidence. He said the delay in identifying suspects has fueled speculation that powerful figures are involved.
Sanctions threat, LDEA response
Freeman urged the international community to impose sanctions, including asset freezes, on President Boakai, VP Koung, and other top officials if the probe remains incomplete after 14 days.
The LDEA has defended its approach, stating the investigation is active and that releasing certain details prematurely could compromise it. Government officials have repeatedly said all persons linked to the case are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that the investigation will follow the evidence regardless of status.
With public and international attention intensifying, the outcome of the RIA drug case is now being framed as a test of Liberia’s law enforcement capacity, institutional credibility, and global reputation as a transit point for narcotics.
