Liberia remains a major transit point for illegal drug trade as a many youths in the country have easy access to these narcotics. many of those young people who are drug users turn to be very harmful to the society and now become “At-Risk Youth” or popularly known in the country as “Zogos”.
Experts say due to the government inability to curb the influx of illegal drug entering in the country, the number of At-Risk youth might double in the coming years.
The current number of At-Risk youth or Zogos in Liberia stands at 130,000 according to the Ministry of youth and sport data and due to their drug habit many of them look very ‘unsanitary’ and are in engaged in petty crime and harming peaceful residents.
The capital city of Monrovia alone account for more than 75,000 “Zogos” roaming around the street corners like a hungry lion searching for animal to devour.
Weak drug Law
Drug importers in the country have easy ride because the laws against illicit drug is not stronger and are billable.
The amendment to the new drug law has not been approved by the Liberian senate.
The bill when concurred with by the Liberian Senate will provide penalties for drug possession or use, supply, trafficking, production, an alternative to incarceration, harm reduction, public health and human rights, confiscation of properties, among others, and will also reduce the number of disadvantage youths in the streets.
Speaking to LINA shortly after the passage of the bill, Rep. Goshua explained that the reason for introducing the bill is because it has been observed that drugs and substance abuse have contributed negatively to the growth of the younger generation, adding that the proliferation of illicit drugs in Liberia has led several youths to become uncontrollable and are being referred to as “Zogos”.
Defendants in the US$100 million cocaine case have been acquitted of all charges, including money laundering, illegal possession and importation of controlled drugs, and criminal conspiracy, by Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice.
Among those set free by the court on May 18, 2023, were Malam Conte, Adulai Djibri Djalo, Makki Admeh Issam, Oliver A. Zayzay, and others.
Judge Blamo A. Dixon has also ordered the Liberian Government to return the US$200,000 confiscated during the crackdown.
The October 1, 2022 arrest, which was the largest illicit drug bust across West Africa, was made possible with the assistance of the United States security agency.
The case stems from the US$100 million cocaine bust on October 1, 2022, in which one Oliver Zayzay, a Liberian national, and some of his foreign associates were arrested after seeking to purchase what appeared to be a shipping container full of fresh frozen pig feet from a refrigerated storage facility in Monrovia.
Investigation suggests that suspect Conte was asked by his international business partners to follow the consignment and ensure it reaches the final destination. he however decline to state whether Liberia is the final destination of the product.
Police preliminary investigation also established that suspect Malam arrived in the country with two other accomplices who checked in at the Royal Grand Hotel. They later moved over to the Boulevard Palace Hotel where the LDEA was able to pick up additional information leading towards their syndicate.
LDEA told local media that suspects Gustavo Henrique, a Brazilian and Adulai Djibril a Portuguese who both accompanied Malam were not in their hotel room at the time the LDEA and NSA agents arrived.
Suspect Malam is currently under the LDEA custody undergoing full scale investigation, while suspects Gustavo Henrique and Adulai Djibril are at large.
Second largest seizure
The cocaine was the second largest narcotics arrest in recent history of Liberia after a 92 barrels cocaine was arrested on Liberian water in 2008 with a street value at €500 million or US$ 600million at the time.
The 2.5 tones was on the ship, the Blue Atlantic, was spotted on the high seas by a French military vessel, which intercepted and towed it to the port.
In 2010,Liberia deported seven people to the US after they were arrested for allegedly trying to ship 4,000kg of cocaine in the country.
The suspects are accused of trying to bribe top Liberian officials to protect large cocaine shipments since 2007.
Failed Court appeal
Liberia’s justice Minister Musa Dean in an angry attempt to over rule the acquittal in favor of the four defendants in the US$100m cocaine case at the supreme court did not materialized .
The supreme court decline to make a decision on the writ of prohibition as for by Minister Musa Dean
The Ministry had petitioned for a writ of prohibition to prevent Criminal Court ‘C’ from enforcing its judgment of acquittal in favor of defendants Malam Conte, Adulai Djibril Djalo, Makki Admeh Issam, and Oliver A. Zayzay.
The writ also aimed to halt the return of the US$210,000 that had been seized by the state during the arrest of the four men.
The Minister of Justice had seen the verdict which was delivered unanimously by a 12-man jury as a travesty of justice and believes it is a slap in the face of the Liberian Justice system.
Minister Dean wonder why three of the four immediately left the country when the court ruling order the return of their US$210,000.00.
“The court ordered the return of the two-hundred thousand United States dollars seized by the joint security during the arrest of the four men, so why are they not around to receive their money if they know they have nothing to run from?” Min. Dean questioned.
The Supreme Court’s mandate will be read by the lower court on Thursday, July 1, 2023.
The seized drugs were estimated to be worth over US$100m, making it one of the largest drug-related cases in the country’s history.
A Liberian named Oliver Zayzay and three foreign individuals were arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase the cocaine, which the government claimed had been smuggled among pig feet from Brazil.
