NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Liberia’s Joint Security has seized what authorities describe as a major consignment of suspected illegal drugs during an operation in the Baptist Seminary Community along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) Highway, leading to the arrest of two foreign nationals.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The operation was carried out on Tuesday, July 21, following what senior security sources described as an intelligence-led investigastion.
According to the sources, the raid was launched after the Joint Security received a tip-off late Monday evening, prompting officers to move in on a fenced compound believed to have been used to store the suspected narcotics.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the number of boxes of the suspected drugs recovered during the operation or provided an estimated street value of the seizure.
The identities and nationalities of the two suspects have also not been released. Both individuals remain in police custody and are expected to face court proceedings as investigations continue.
Speaking after the operation, Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman said the latest breakthrough demonstrated why investigators had repeatedly appealed for public patience while pursuing ongoing drug-related investigations.
“This is why we asked the public over the last few weeks to be patient. Investigation was ongoing,” Coleman said.
The latest seizure is expected to deepen an already high-profile investigation into the attempted trafficking of approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at an estimated US$19.2 million, which was intercepted at Roberts International Airport earlier this year.
Security officials have not formally confirmed that the two cases are directly connected, but law enforcement sources believe the newly discovered cache could provide additional leads in the broader investigation into suspected drug trafficking networks operating in Liberia.
Inspector General Coleman praised the coordinated efforts of Liberia’s security institutions, describing the operation as a demonstration of the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in combating transnational organized crime.
“This is the collaborative effort of the strength that comes from the unity of the Joint Security,” Coleman said. “We want to say thanks to all of the major players, especially the National Security Agency (NSA), the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the Liberia National Police, the Executive Protection Service, and everyone who played a part in this operation.”
He also delivered a strong warning to criminal networks seeking to use Liberia as a transit point for illegal narcotics.
“To the Liberian people, we say that this place is not open for cartel business. I want to assure each and every one of you that we have the command and the control of the cartel in custody. They will be prosecuted. People will answer to the law,” Coleman declared.
The latest operation comes amid heightened anti-narcotics enforcement by Liberia’s Joint Security as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates believed to be operating within the country and across the West African region.
Investigators are expected to continue processing evidence recovered from the compound while determining whether the seizure is linked to the ongoing US$19.2 million cocaine case.
Further details are expected to be released as the investigation progresses and formal charges are brought against the suspects.
