Liberia seizes record cocaine haul near Monrovia, officials say

Liberian police say they have made the country's biggest drug bust ever, after raiding a suspected storage site near the capital and finding what officials believe is a huge quantity of cocaine.

Police released photos and video showing dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes packed inside a lorry. Police chief Gregory Coleman said forensic tests confirmed the substance was cocaine, worth an estimated $370 million (£220 million) on the street.

Raid and arrests

The raid took place in Duazon, a town about 20km east of Monrovia. Several people were arrested, including two foreigners and a number of Liberians. No charges have been filed yet.

Coleman said the bust followed a long investigation into trafficking networks that resurfaced in Liberia between 2018 and 2023. Police had been monitoring the group for about a year and a half.

"This is the result of that operation," Coleman said, calling it the largest drugs seizure in the country in recent years.

Foreign suspects

It is still unclear where the drugs came from or where they were headed. Coleman said police were already investigating the network when two foreign suspects arrived in Liberia and were arrested.

One suspect was carrying both a Spanish and a Colombian passport. The other held a Serbian passport.

Vice-President Jeremiah Koung praised the security forces and warned that anyone found responsible would face the full force of the law, "regardless of who you are."

Second bust last month

This raid comes weeks after another seizure at Roberts International Airport, where security staff intercepted six cargo boxes after spotting irregularities during screening.

The shipment was falsely labeled as food seasoning and textiles. Investigators instead found nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine intended for export.

That airport case triggered political controversy. Critics said authorities acted too slowly, allowing some suspects to leave the country before they could be arrested.

President Joseph Boakai ordered a joint investigation by police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency. Several suspects have since been charged, and international arrest warrants are being sought for others still at large.

A regional problem

West Africa has become a major transit hub for cocaine moving from South America to Europe, helped by weak border controls in parts of the region.

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime estimates that at least 30% of cocaine bound for Europe now passes through West Africa. Local consumption, including crack cocaine, is also rising.

The group says regional seizures have climbed steadily since 2019, reaching about 30 tonnes in 2025. The United Nations has warned that trafficking networks in the region are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Liberia has seen several major drug busts in recent years, including a 520kg cocaine seizure at Monrovia's seaport in 2022. Since taking office in 2024, President Boakai has reshuffled leadership at the country's drug enforcement agency multiple times amid growing pressure to curb trafficking.