NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Liberia’s Joint Security has destroyed more than 4.2 metric tons of cocaine valued at an estimated US$336 million, marking one of the country’s largest anti-drug operations as authorities intensify investigations into an international narcotics trafficking network allegedly involving senior security officials.
By: Sampson W Weah
The court-authorized public incineration took place Thursday, July 30, in Careysburg, bringing an end to two of the country’s biggest cocaine seizures in recent history.
The narcotics destroyed originated from two separate operations carried out in June and July.
The first seizure occurred on June 8 at Roberts International Airport (RIA), where authorities intercepted 237.6 kilograms of cocaine concealed in commercial cargo. The drugs were valued at more than US$19 million.
The second operation, conducted on July 21 in Duazon, resulted in the confiscation of 3,971 kilograms—nearly 4 metric tons—of processed cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately US$317 million.
Together, the seizures amounted to more than 4.2 metric tons of cocaine worth over US$336 million.
Security Officers Implicated
Speaking during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Inspector General of Police Gregory O.W. Coleman disclosed new details of the investigation, alleging that senior security personnel helped facilitate the trafficking operation.
Coleman said a year-long intelligence and surveillance operation led to the arrest and formal charging of Highway Patrol Chief Wadell Quaboe and Major Crimes Chief Anthony Blaye.
According to investigators, the two officers used official Liberia National Police vehicles to escort the cocaine from the shoreline to its storage location before they were forwarded to court on Thursday.
Authorities also identified a Deputy Commander of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) assigned at Roberts International Airport as another suspect in the case.
International Investigation Expands
Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh said the investigation has now expanded beyond Liberia, with law enforcement agencies in Morocco, Rwanda, and the Netherlands providing assistance.
Reaffirming President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to accountability, Tweh vowed that investigators would pursue every credible lead regardless of an individual’s position or influence.
“There will be no limits. If the evidence points to you, you will be investigated,” the Justice Minister declared.
Tweh also rejected allegations circulating on social media linking Joseph Boakai Jr., the President’s son, to the ongoing drug investigation, describing the claims as unsubstantiated.
The allegations surfaced after a widely circulated video featuring individuals claiming to be members of a Colombian drug cartel threatened both Boakai Jr. and the Liberian government following the massive cocaine seizures.
Earlier this week, Executive Protection Service Director Sam Gaye dismissed the threats, insisting the government would not be intimidated and would proceed with the court-approved destruction of the seized narcotics.
The destruction of the cocaine comes as the Boakai administration continues to intensify its crackdown on drug trafficking, with several government and security officials already dismissed, suspended, or facing prosecution in connection with the ongoing investigations.
