Liberian authorities are examining a large cache of suspected cocaine found in a building in the Monrovia suburb of Duazon, with analysts saying the shipment could be worth as much as billions of dollars and officials calling it the biggest drug seizure in the country’s history.
Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman said the latest discovery is tied to an investigation into an earlier interception on June 8 of 200 kilograms of drugs.
He said investigators believe the broader operation is part of a cartel network now under state control.
“We are in command and control of the cartel and they will be prosecuted,” Coleman said.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said the government’s security agencies uncovered the illegal drugs during intelligence-led operations across the country, even as public attention remained focused on a previously reported US$19 million drug case.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, Piah said the latest seizure underscores the administration’s effort to stop Liberia from becoming a transit route for narcotics traffickers. He said authorities suspect the substance is cocaine, but laboratory tests will be carried out to determine its exact composition and quantity.
While officials have not yet disclosed the total amount seized or an official street value, preliminary assessments suggest the bust could exceed every previous drug seizure recorded in Liberia, according to the ministry.
“Based solely on the visual appearance and apparent quantity of the drugs reportedly seized, the potential street value could plausibly range from hundreds of millions to as much as a billion U.S. dollars,” Hassan Fadiga, a former deputy director at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency said on Facebook.
The LDEA, working with the national security apparatus and other law enforcement bodies, has stepped up around-the-clock operations to dismantle trafficking networks, Piah said. He added that anyone connected to the case would face a full investigation and prosecution if evidence is found.
“There will be no safe haven for drug traffickers,” Piah said.
The seizure has also reignited public concern about Liberia’s role in regional drug trafficking. The group STAND called for an independent, U.S.-led investigation, saying the scale of the shipment suggests possible protection or involvement by powerful local actors.
STAND said the government should disclose the estimated street value, identify all alleged collaborators and move quickly to prevent Liberia from becoming a “narco-state.”
Authorities have not said when laboratory results will be released. Two foreign citizens have been arrested in connection with the Duazon seizure.
