The authorities in Liberia say they has made the biggest drug haul in the country’s history following a raid by drug law enforcement operatives on a cocaine storage facility just outside Monrovia.
A handful of suspects have been taken into custody after police on Tuesday swooped on the target in the town of Duazon, 12 miles east of the capital and uncovered high-quality cocaine valued at $370 million.
Two non-Liberians are among those arrested in connection with the drug find during the raid dubbed the Operation Duazon.
Police have since released photos and footage showing boxes packed on a vehicle which was later tested and confirmed as cocaine.
According to investigators, Liberia had been found to be an international transit hub for drug trafficking since 2018 thanks to more than a year of intelligence gathering which uncovered local syndicates.
However, the Liberian police say they are still investigating to uncover from where the drug had originated.
Passports found on the suspects are Spanish, Colombian and Serbian.
Tuesday’s cocaine seizure was not the first major haul by Liberian investigators. A 520kg cocaine shipment was discovered at the Monrovia port in 2022.
West Africa is widely seen as a notorious trafficking hub for cocaine, accounting for 30 percent of the drug which reaches Europe, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
Last month, six cargo boxes containing cocaine were discovered at the Roberts International Airport during a routine inspection. The consignment had falsely claimed that the boxes contained food seasoning items and textiles.
The police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) had jointly launched an investigation following an order to that effect by President Joseph Boakai. It comes following a public outcry criticising the nature of the investigation which allowed suspects to skip the country’s jurisdiction.
The government ordered charges to be brought against suspects at large with international warrants of arrest issued against them.
WN/as/APA