By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, Liberia — Liberian security forces on Tuesday carried out what officials say could be the country’s largest drug seizure to date, raiding a warehouse in Duazon and detaining two foreign nationals. The operation comes just six weeks after a US$19.2 million cocaine bust at Roberts International Airport placed Liberia under renewed scrutiny for its role in transnational trafficking.
Officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, supported by the Liberia National Police, Executive Protection Service and other members of the Joint Security, executed the raid with a court-issued search and seizure warrant. Dozens of suitcases and boxes believed to contain narcotics were removed from the facility and transported for forensic examination. Authorities have not yet confirmed the quantity or street value of the substances. Officials at the scene suggested the consignment could exceed US$200 million, but the government cautioned that laboratory testing and inventory are still ongoing.
Two men were taken into custody during the raid. Sources identified them as a Colombian and a Spanish national, both seen in handcuffs as investigators secured the premises. Security agencies have not formally named the suspects or announced charges. Investigators say they are working to determine the origin, destination and ownership of the shipment, and have not ruled out additional arrests.
Confirming the operation at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah said preliminary assessments indicate the substance is believed to be cocaine. He commended the LDEA and partner agencies, describing the raid as proof of government resolve to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent Liberia from becoming a transit hub. “The Joint Security is intensifying intelligence gathering against organized syndicates operating in the country,” Piah said, adding that a formal update would be issued once forensic work is complete.
The Duazon raid follows the June 8 seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately US$19.2 million at Roberts International Airport, then the largest in Liberia’s history. That case prompted President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to establish a Joint National Security Investigative Task Force and has already produced charges including illicit trafficking and criminal conspiracy. With another suspected multimillion-dollar cache now under investigation, authorities face mounting public and legislative scrutiny over the scale of trafficking through Liberia and the consistency of official accounts. The LDEA says the Duazon investigation remains active and final details on quantity and value will be released after analysis.
