Authorities in Liberia have intercepted one of the country’s largest cocaine shipments, valued at more than $19.2 million, at Roberts International Airport, officials announced Tuesday.
The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) said 198 compressed plates of cocaine, weighing a total of 237.6 kilograms, were discovered concealed in six cargo boxes on Monday, June 8. The consignment was being processed for export to Europe aboard Brussels Airlines.
Fitzgerald Biago, the LDEA’s Officer in Charge, told reporters the operation was based on credible intelligence and carried out with the support of joint security officers stationed at the airport. He described the seizure as a landmark success in Liberia’s fight against transnational drug trafficking.
“This operation sends an unequivocal message that Liberia is not a transit point, a marketplace, nor a safe haven for drug traffickers,” Biago said, pledging that all individuals connected to the shipment would be investigated and prosecuted under Liberian law.
The managing director of the Liberia Airport Authority praised the vigilance and coordination of airport security, calling the seizure proof that Liberia’s gateways are secure and uncompromised. He emphasized that “business as usual will not be tolerated” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening security infrastructure and interagency collaboration.
Officials declined to disclose the detection methods used but confirmed that investigations are ongoing. No arrests have yet been announced.
The LDEA framed the operation as part of Liberia’s broader campaign against drug cartels, thanking its officers and partners for their role in preventing the shipment from reaching European markets.
The seizure is the biggest since the administration of Joseph Boakai came to power two years ago.
