Robertsport — The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has arrested two women, including a 74-year-old Ghanaian national, for alleged possession of marijuana in separate incidents in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County.
According to a statement from the LDEA's Public Affairs Department, the arrests were made over the weekend following search and seizure warrants issued by the Magisterial Court in Robertsport.
Grace Kuasi, 74, was arrested in Fanti Town, Robertsport, after officers discovered 19 compressed plates of marijuana allegedly hidden in her kitchen. Authorities estimate the street value of the narcotics at L$228,000, or approximately US$1,200 based on the current exchange rate.
In a separate raid, 51-year-old Fatu Passawe, a Liberian national, was arrested in the Up-Town Community after officers found one compressed plate of marijuana and 15 wraps of the substance concealed in her bedroom. The drugs seized from Passawe were valued at L$16,700, or about US$87.80.
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"These arrests were executed in accordance with legal procedures and followed the issuance of valid court warrants," the LDEA said in its statement.
The agency noted that Liberia continues to grapple with rising drug abuse and trafficking, with marijuana and other narcotics contributing to an increase in criminal activity, particularly among youth. Law enforcement officials say young people in ghettos, street corners, and cemeteries are increasingly drawn to drug use, often resulting in violent crimes, including armed robbery.
A recent United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report estimates that two in every ten Liberian youth use narcotic substances. The report adds that widespread drug use has significantly eroded the country's human capital, weakening social cohesion and stalling national development.
The LDEA has also raised concerns about alleged collusion between some law enforcement officers and drug traffickers, warning that such complicity undermines the government's anti-drug efforts.
Despite repeated promises by politicians during election cycles to address the drug crisis, authorities say meaningful interventions have been limited. Many officials are accused of using the disadvantaged population of drug users as political tools, offering little in terms of sustainable rehabilitation or policy reforms once elected.
