Key facts
- Liberian authorities seized nearly four tonnes of cocaine.
- The estimated street value of the cocaine is $317.7 million (€279.1 million).
- Two foreign nationals were arrested.
- The operation uncovered an organized, complex, and well-funded narcotics trafficking network.
- This seizure follows another major drug bust at the same airport in June.
Liberian authorities have seized nearly four tonnes of cocaine, valued at an estimated $317.7 million (€277 million), in what is being described as one of the country's largest drug busts. The operation, which took place on the road to Roberts International Airport, led to the arrest of two foreign nationals.
The attorney general and justice minister stated that the seizure "revealed an organised, sophisticated, complex and well-funded narcotics trafficking network." Investigators recovered approximately 3,971 kilograms of processed plates of suspected cocaine.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai has pledged to "expose and destroy" the networks behind the country's drug trade and announced a coordinated investigation to ensure accountability.
This significant seizure follows another major drug bust at the same airport in June, where 237.6 kilograms of cocaine were intercepted, leading to charges against five men and a logistics company. West Africa is recognized as a key transit hub for cocaine destined for Europe, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.