Houses, cars, and motorcycles found with illegal drugs will be seized by the state, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency's acting head has warned.
Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald T. M. Biago issued the warning Thursday at the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions (CEIO) on Carey Street, vowing full enforcement of the law against property owners whose assets are linked to the drug trade.
"If we arrest drugs in a house, that house isn't yours again. If we arrest drugs in a car, that car isn't yours again. If we arrest drugs on a motorcycle, that motorcycle isn't yours again," Biago said. "You and that motorcycle will face the full weight of the law."
He cited a recent case involving a petroleum truck allegedly loaded with tramadol in Grand Cape Mount County, noting that the vehicle would be confiscated in keeping with LDEA's forfeiture powers.
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"We will confiscate these properties. That's what the law says," he stressed.
From Appointment to Action
Biago, appointed in August 2025 as Officer-in-Charge of the LDEA, has pledged to transform the agency's approach to enforcement and community engagement. A veteran law enforcer with a reputation for toughness, he has relaunched outreach campaigns and urged citizens to help locate "ghettos" and drug-infested neighborhoods for joint operations.
"We Should Not Politicize the Fight"
The LDEA boss distanced the anti-drug campaign from politics, saying substance abuse is a national, not partisan, crisis.
"I'm a career law enforcement person, not a politician," he said. "This issue of drugs doesn't know party. The victims are Liberians. Let's fight this with unity."
He also invited citizens to hold his agency accountable.
"If you see me doing wrong things, tell me. I'll say sorry and correct it. We are begging you to work with us."
A Country Under Siege
Liberia's escalating drug crisis, marked by the spread of synthetic opioids, tramadol, and kush, has alarmed communities and civil society groups, who describe it as a "national emergency."
The LDEA, constrained by limited funding and manpower, continues to battle waves of addiction and trafficking.
Biago admitted that the challenge remains overwhelming:
"I have not done anything yet. No Liberian should praise me at this point," he said. "I want to reach a place where my children can leave their clothes outside overnight and find them safe in the morning, then I'll know we're making progress."
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Communities as Partners
Biago urged communities to take ownership of the anti-drug fight.
"Come to my office Monday," he told the CEIO audience. "Give me a map of Monrovia where ghettos exist. After one month, come back and ask me what I've done with it."
He emphasized that the campaign targets narcotics, not individuals or political groups.
"We're doing this for the victims, the children, the parents, the communities destroyed by drugs. This is not about UP or CDC; it's about saving lives."
The Road Ahead
The new confiscation policy, Biago said, is a warning to all property owners: any asset tied to drug trafficking or storage risks permanent seizure.
"We want your help. We want your support," he said. "Together, we can make this country safe again."
