Liberian authorities have seized 3,971 kilograms (3.97 tonnes) of cocaine worth an estimated US$317 million during a raid on a suspected drug storage facility near the capital, Monrovia, marking the largest narcotics seizure in the country’s history. The operation took place in Duazon, about 20 kilometers east of Monrovia, where security forces recovered dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes hidden inside a truck. Forensic tests later confirmed the substance was high-grade processed cocaine. Police arrested several suspects during the raid, including two foreign nationals and several Liberian citizens. Authorities have not yet announced formal charges as investigations continue.
Liberia’s Inspector General of Police, Gregory Coleman, said the seizure was the result of an 18-month intelligence-led investigation into international drug trafficking networks operating through Liberia. “Between 2018 and 2023, there was a resurgence of major drug trafficking through Liberia. We have been monitoring these networks for the past year and a half, and this operation is the outcome of that surveillance,” Coleman said. Investigators are still working to determine where the cocaine originated and its intended destination. Coleman confirmed that one of the foreign suspects was carrying both Spanish and Colombian passports, while another held a Serbian passport. Vice President Jeremiah Koung praised security agencies for the successful operation, pledging that anyone found responsible would face the full force of the law regardless of their status or nationality.
The latest seizure follows another major drug interception at Roberts International Airport last month, where authorities discovered nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine concealed in cargo falsely declared as food seasoning and textiles. That airport seizure sparked criticism over delays in identifying suspects, prompting President Joseph Boakai to order a joint investigation involving the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA). Several suspects have since been charged, while international arrest warrants have been issued for others believed to have fled the country. West Africa has increasingly become a major transit hub for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe, with criminal networks exploiting porous borders and weak law enforcement in parts of the region.
According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, around 30 percent of cocaine destined for Europe now passes through West Africa. The organization estimates that cocaine seizures in the region have risen steadily since 2019, reaching approximately 30 tonnes in 2025, while local consumption has also increased. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has repeatedly warned that increasingly sophisticated international drug cartels are expanding their operations across West Africa, posing serious threats to governance, security and public health. Liberia has recorded several significant drug seizures in recent years, including the interception of 520 kilograms of cocaine at the Port of Monrovia in 2022. Since assuming office in 2024, President Boakai has introduced reforms and reshuffled the leadership of the country’s anti-drug agency as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking.
