Liberia’s Biggest‑Ever Drug Bust Nets $370m in Cocaine
A stunning haul of high‑grade cocaine was seized during a raid at a suspected storage site outside Monrovia, marking the largest drug bust in Liberia’s history.
Police released video and photographic evidence showing dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes inside a lorry. Forensic analysis confirmed the contents as cocaine, with a street value of more than $370 million ($220 million pounds).
The raid in Duazon—20 kilometres east of the capital—resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including two foreigners and a number of Liberian nationals. No formal charges have yet been announced for those detained.
Chief Police Officer Gregory Coleman explained that the operation is the culmination of a long‑running investigation into alleged drug‑trafficking networks that had resurfaced in Liberia between 2018 and 2023. “Over the last one‑and‑a‑half years, we’ve been surveilling these groups and this is the result of that operation,” he told the BBC.
Among those apprehended were two foreigners. One held Spanish and Colombian passports, while the other carried a Serbian passport, according to police statements.
Vice‑President Jeremiah Koung praised the security forces and cautioned that anyone found to be culpable would feel “the full weight of the law, regardless of who you are”.
The Duazon raid followed an earlier seizure at Roberts International Airport last month, where six cargo boxes were found to contain nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine destined for export—despite being declared as food seasoning and textiles. The airport incident sparked political debate over the perceived slowness of investigations and allegations that suspects may have fled before arrests could be secured.
President Joseph Boakai ordered a joint investigation involving the police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency. Several suspects have since been charged, and international arrest warrants are in pursuit of others who remain at large.
West Africa is a major transit route for cocaine shipped from South America to Europe, often exploiting porous borders and weak enforcement. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime estimates that at least 30 % of cocaine destined for Europe now passes through the region. Cocaine seizures in West Africa have risen steadily since 2019, reaching about 30 tonnes in 2025.
The UN has warned that drug‑trafficking networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, raising concerns for the region’s security.
Liberia has experienced several high‑profile drug seizures in recent years, including a 520 kg haul interdicted at its seaport in 2022. Since taking office in 2024, President Boakai has reshuffled the leadership of the country’s drug enforcement agency multiple times in response to mounting pressure to tackle the problem.
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