In brief
In a daring operation over the weekend, Liberian security forces seized a large quantity of cocaine from a suspected storage site east of Monrovia, marking the country’s most significant drugs bust to date. Forensic tests confirmed the presence of high‑grade cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $370 million. While several individuals, including foreign nationals, were arrested, charges remain pending and the origin of the shipment is still unclear. The raid follows recent airport seizures and signals an intensified crackdown on West Africa’s transit routes. Authorities vow to pursue suspects relentlessly, underscoring the ongoing battle against transnational drug trafficking.
A huge supply of cocaine was seized during a raid on a suspected illegal storage facility near Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, in what authorities describe as the biggest drugs bust in the country’s history.
Videos and photographs released by the police show dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes packed within a lorry, which investigators believe contained high‑grade cocaine.
Police chief Gregory Coleman confirmed that forensic tests verified the substance as cocaine, estimating a street value of more than $370 million (£220 million).
The raid, executed in Duazon—a town about 20 km east of Monrovia—arrested several people, including two foreigners and several Liberians, though no formal charges have yet been announced.
Chief Coleman stated the seizure resulted from a long‑running investigation into suspected trafficking networks operating in Liberia, noting increased surveillance over the past one and a half years.
The operation came after the interception of six cargo boxes at Roberts International Airport last month, which were falsely declared as food seasoning and textiles but were found to contain nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine destined for export.
The airport seizure sparked political controversy when critics accused authorities of acting too slowly, and the president ordered a joint investigation involving the police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
West Africa is a key transit route for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe, with about 30 % of cocaine bound for Europe passing through the region, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Since taking office in 2024, President Boakai has reshuffled the leadership of the drug enforcement agency several times as the government faces growing pressure to curb drug trafficking.
