-- Package reported worth L$80K
An officer of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) has been arrested by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) on charges of trafficking narcotics. The officer, identified as Cyrus David, was apprehended in Tappita on February 6, 2024. It is alleged that David was using his uniform for clandestine drug-related activities -- allegedly trafficking about 7.54 grams of the narcotic substance known as "Kush".
Thomas Saye, the LDEA Nimba County Commander, told the Daily Observer that Officer Cyrus David and another suspect, Joseph Kollie, have been charged with various offenses, including unlicensed distribution, transportation, possession, and trafficking of narcotic drugs -- drugs crimes that contravene Section 14.103, 14.107, and 14.111 of the amended panel law of Oct. 17, 2014.
"He was caught red-handed by my officer carrying on the transaction, but lied of seizing it from a trafficker, whom he couldn't show us," Saye said.
The estimated value of the seized drugs is approximately US$423.25, equivalent to about L$80,000. Following his arrest, David was initially taken to the local authorities of the Liberia Immigration Service in Ganta, where he was relieved of his duties by the PISD division of the LIS.
He was subsequently handed over to the LDEA for prosecution. Both individuals have been sent to the Sanniquellie Magisterial Court and are currently in jail awaiting their court trial.
Officer Cyrus David, 37, reportedly claimed that he obtained the drugs from a dealer in Tappita. However, he failed to provide any evidence of the alleged dealer to the LDEA upon his arrest.
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The LDEA disclosed that David was caught in the act of carrying out the transaction but could not substantiate his claim of having confiscated the narcotics from a trafficker.
It is worth noting that Officer Cyrus David had previously been linked to an incident of firing his weapon in a neighborhood in Ganta in February 2022. This incident caused panic among residents and led to concerns about the officer's behavior and association with drug abusers.
The incident at the time, which happened near the Guinea-Liberia border in Ganta, lasted about two minutes and caused many to think that their community was under attack by armed gangs. They were later informed that the pandemonium was being caused by officer David.
Narrating the incident at the time, Saa Tamba said the officer entered his home at about 3 a.m., claiming that he was in search of a criminal, and while leaving, he fired his gun twice, penetrating the ceiling and wall from the hallway of the four-bedroom house.
"He did not come with an arrest warrant, but ordered all the occupants to get on their knees, demanding that all the rooms' doors be opened so he could search for the criminal," Tamba said.
It was also noted that Ganta residents have often complained that David was always in the company of drug abusers.
Meanwhile, as the latest legal process unfolds, the LDEA says it is committed to pursuing justice and ensuring that individuals involved in illegal drug activities are held accountable for their actions.
