Four Arrested, L$1.9m Worth of Drugs Confiscated Across Rural Liberia as LDEA Intensifies Anti-drug Campaign

Monrovia, Liberia: In a daring anti-drug operation across rural Liberia, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has confiscated illicit drugs valued at over LRD 1,918,645.00 (approximately USD $9,620), leading to the arrest of four Liberian nationals — one male and three females — in separate but well-coordinated operations.

By: Abraham Sylvester Panto

The operations, carried out between May 27 and 28, 2025, uncovered a combined haul of cocaine and marijuana concealed in vehicles, on individuals, and at strategic transit locations, resulting in arrests that underscore the increasing diversity of drug couriers in rural bordering counties.

According to official press releases issued early Friday, May 30, 2025, the single largest seizure was executed in Voinjama, Lofa County, where LDEA operatives intercepted a green Nissan taxi bearing plate number 11413 and driven by 42-year-old Musa Kamara, a resident of Sanoyea District, Bong County.

Initially detained on suspicion of transporting illegal substances, suspect Kamara voluntarily surrendered eleven wraps of compressed marijuana, claiming personal use. However, a full search of the vehicle conducted at the LDEA headquarters uncovered a staggering 108 additional wraps hidden under the driver's seat and five large plates of compressed marijuana stored in the trunk, culminating in a total estimated street value of LRD 857,400.00.

In Nimba County, 50-year-old Musu Yeanay was arrested at the Sanniquellie Checkpoint while traveling from Monrovia to Yekepa. A thorough inspection of her belongings revealed nine tubes of cocaine, translating to a street value of approximately LRD 1,015,740.00 (USD $5,346). 

According to the LDEA, the strategic concealment methods used emphasize that Yeanay’s case is one of the most significant cocaine seizures in the region this year. She remains in custody as legal proceedings are being finalized in line with national anti-narcotics legislation.

Meanwhile, in Grand Gedeh County, a 22-year-old female suspect identified as Mercy Toe was apprehended by LDEA agents in Toe Town, following intelligence that linked her to local marijuana distribution. The search resulted in the confiscation of two plates of compressed marijuana with a market value of LRD 38,000. 

Suspect Toe, a resident of Fish Town in neighboring River Gee County, was immediately charged following her arrest and has since been forwarded to the judiciary system for trial.

Also among the arrested is 40-year-old Jumah Quake, a female resident of Klay, Bomi County, who was captured in Colman Hill on May 27, 2025. LDEA’s agents discovered 158 wraps of marijuana in her possession, with an estimated value of LRD 7,505.00 (USD $39.50).

The total haul from the five seizures—119 wraps of compressed marijuana, 44.5 grams in marijuana plates, nine tubes of cocaine, two marijuana plates, and 158 individual wraps—translates into an alarming increase in drug movement through inter-county vehicular routes. This situation revealed a troubling pattern of concealment that ranges from personal transport vehicles to travel bags and inner compartments.

These findings, LDEA authorities stress, indicate not only rising drug trafficking but also the growing sophistication of smuggling techniques across county borders.

The LDEA emphasized that all four suspects—Musa Kamara, Musu Yeanay, Mercy Toe, and Jumah Quake—are currently under official investigation and will be prosecuted in accordance with the legal framework governing narcotics offenses in Liberia. 

The agency reiterated its commitment to dismantling trafficking networks by targeting both suppliers and couriers regardless of gender, location, or nationality, noting that these operations were the result of ongoing surveillance and community-based intelligence networks.

According to authorities, the rapid succession of these operations within a 48-hour span reflects the effectiveness of coordinated inter-county enforcement strategies and community cooperation but also reveals the persistent risk posed by traffickers exploiting Liberia’s decentralized road networks and public transportation systems.

With suspects ranging from young adults to middle-aged individuals and involving both men and women, the LDEA has called for heightened vigilance at county entry points and closer monitoring of trans-national transport hubs.

LDEA spokespersons confirmed that further investigations are underway to determine whether the arrested individuals are linked to broader distribution syndicates.

Meanwhile, the confiscated narcotics have been secured as evidence in the custody of the respective county detachments pending court proceedings, as Liberia’s anti-drug enforcement institutions intensify their pursuit of accountability and territorial drug interdiction.