Key facts
- Liberian authorities seized approximately 3,971 kg of cocaine.
- The estimated street value of the seized cocaine is $317 million.
- Two foreign nationals, one with Spanish and Colombian passports and another with a Serbian passport, were arrested.
- The operation uncovered a sophisticated and well-funded narcotics trafficking network.
- This seizure follows a similar large bust of 237.6 kg of cocaine in June.
Liberian authorities have seized approximately 3,971 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $317 million, in what is considered one of the country's largest drug busts. The operation, conducted in Duazon, east of the capital Monrovia, also led to the arrest of two foreign nationals, one holding Spanish and Colombian passports and the other a Serbian passport.
Gregory Coleman, inspector general of the Liberian National Police, stated that the seizure revealed a sophisticated trafficking network, and released images of the drugs. The origin of the cocaine is currently under investigation, requiring chemical analysis and examination of the packaging markings. Drug traffickers frequently utilize West African nations as transit points for smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe.
This significant bust follows a similar operation in June, where 237.6 kg of cocaine, valued at over $19 million and bound for Britain, was seized at Roberts International Airport. That shipment was linked to Dutch cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, though authorities have not established a connection between the two cases. Experts note that these seizures highlight global trends in cocaine trafficking, with traffickers diversifying routes and increasing volumes, and that some of the world's most sophisticated cocaine networks operate in West Africa.