Liberian authorities say they have made the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history after raiding a suspected drug storage facility on the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.
The joint operation, carried out on Tuesday in the town of Duazon, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Monrovia, uncovered high-purity cocaine with an estimated street value of $370 million, according to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Several suspects were arrested during the raid, dubbed Operation Duazon, including two foreign nationals. Investigators said passports recovered at the scene were from Spain, Colombia and Serbia.
Authorities released photographs and video footage showing dozens of boxes loaded onto a vehicle. Laboratory tests later confirmed the contents were cocaine.
International trafficking
Investigators say intelligence gathered over more than a year led to the operation and pointed to Liberia's growing role as a transit point for international cocaine trafficking since at least 2018, with local criminal syndicates fingered as facilitators.
Officials, however, say investigations are continuing to determine the origin of the shipment and identify others involved in the network.
The seizure is the latest in a series of major drug interceptions in Liberia. In 2022, authorities confiscated a 520-kilogram cocaine shipment at the Port of Monrovia.
The latest operation follows another significant drug bust in June, when six cargo boxes containing cocaine were intercepted during a routine inspection at Roberts International Airport. The shipment had been falsely declared as food seasoning and textiles.
Following that seizure, President Joseph Boakai ordered a joint investigation by the Liberia National Police and the LDEA after public criticism over the handling of the case, which allegedly allowed some suspects to flee the country.
The Liberian government has since directed prosecutors to file charges against those still at large and has sought international arrest warrants for the fugitives.
