DUAZON, Margibi County - Liberian security forces seized what could be the country's largest haul of suspected cocaine Tuesday, raiding a warehouse in Duazon and detaining two foreign nationals just six weeks after a US$19.2 million cocaine bust at Roberts International Airport thrust Liberia's role in transnational trafficking into the spotlight.
Report by Blamo N. Toe and Gibson Gee
Officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, backed by the Liberia National Police, the Executive Protection Service and other members of the Joint Security, stormed the warehouse with court officials bearing a search and seizure warrant. Dozens of suitcases and boxes believed to contain narcotics were recovered and loaded onto police trucks for forensic examination.
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Authorities had not announced the quantity or street value of the substances by late Tuesday, saying laboratory testing and inventory were still underway. Officials at the scene suggested the consignment could be worth more than US$200 million, a figure the government stressed remains unverified until counting and analysis are complete.
Sources at the scene said the two men taken into custody are believed to be Colombian and Spanish nationals. Both were seen in handcuffs as investigators secured the premises, though security agencies had yet to formally identify them or announce charges. Investigators are working to establish the origin, destination and ownership of the shipment.
Confirming the operation at the Ministry of Information's regular press briefing Tuesday, Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah said preliminary assessments indicate the substance is believed to be cocaine, but cautioned that verification of its composition, weight and value is ongoing.
One of the foreign suspects believed to be linked to the recent cocaine bust
Piah commended the LDEA and partner agencies, describing the raid as evidence of the government's determination to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent Liberia from becoming a transit point for illicit narcotics. He said security agencies continue to intensify intelligence gathering against organized syndicates operating in the country, and that the Joint Security is expected to issue a formal update.
Authorities have not said how long the suspected drugs were stored at the facility or whether more arrests are expected.
The Duazon raid comes as investigators continue probing the June 8, 2026 seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at approximately US$19.2 million, at Roberts International Airport, then described as one of the largest cocaine seizures in Liberia's history. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai responded by establishing a Joint National Security Investigative Task Force to trace the trafficking network behind the shipment.
That investigation has produced criminal charges including unlicensed importation and exportation of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking and criminal conspiracy, with authorities signaling that further prosecutions are expected. But it has also drawn legislative scrutiny over conflicting official accounts. While the LDEA initially reported arrests, Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh Sr. later told lawmakers no formal arrests had been made at the time, saying several individuals had instead been invited for questioning as persons of interest.
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The emergence of another suspected multimillion-dollar cocaine cache while the RIA case remains unresolved is likely to sharpen public scrutiny of Liberia's anti-narcotics effort and raise fresh questions about the scale and sophistication of international trafficking operations using the country as a corridor.
Authorities say the Duazon investigation remains active, with the final quantity, street value and additional details expected once the search, forensic analysis and inventory are completed.
