LDEA Tracks Down Dangerous Web of Five Emerging Drug Dealers Across Three Counties, as Drug Networks Expand in Southeastern Liberia

Monrovia, Liberia: In a sweeping series of coordinated operations that underscore the growing sophistication of Liberia’s anti-drug enforcement drive, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) on April 21, 24, and 25, 2025, successfully executed multiple high-stakes arrests involving narcotics trafficking across Maryland, Grand Gedeh, and Nimba Counties.

The well-coordinated raid apprehended five suspects, Lawrence Langar, Kesselly Vonleh, Teah Toe, Sam Karyogo, and Patrick M. Bowman, with marijuana and Tramadol valued at a combined cost of hundreds of thousands of Liberian dollars.

Abraham Sylvester Panto writes, 

At approximately 10:40 AM on Friday, April 25, 2025, a team of agents, operating under the leadership of the Nimba County Special Drug Squad (SDS) code-named “Tension,” conducted an aggressive inspection operation at the Tappita City Checkpoint that culminated in the apprehension of suspects Lawrence Langar and Kesselly Vonleh.

The operation targeted vehicular movements en route to Tappita from Leah Town, during which anti-drug agents discovered a black plastic bag containing a huge quantity of marijuana strategically hidden among the suspects’ personal belongings, signaling a deliberate attempt to evade detection.

Suspect Langar, a 27-year-old resident of Zonngain Town, and Vonleh, a 28-year-old, both Liberian nationals from Gbor Kwipea Town, in Electoral District Six, were both arrested on the spot after field testing confirmed the content of the package as high-grade marijuana.

The seized marijuana, packed inside a black plastic bag, carried an estimated street value of 30,000 Liberian dollars, raising significant concerns about the growing affordability and accessibility of illicit substances in the rural corridors.

Both suspects are currently undergoing investigation under the supervision of senior LDEA officers, with assurances from authorities that they will be swiftly forwarded for court trial upon the conclusion of preliminary interrogations.

Earlier that same day, at approximately 9:00 AM, a separate tactical unit comprising LDEA officers from the Tappita Detachment 1 and the Special Drug Squad, led by the Nimba County Chief of Operations, executed a hot pursuit operation resulting in the arrest of suspect Teah Toe in Vahn Town, Tappita District.

The 53-year-old suspect, also a Liberian, was intercepted after an aggressive vehicle chase, during which he attempted to elude law enforcement agents who were carrying out a targeted anti-drug sweep in the area.

Upon his apprehension, LDEA agents discovered three kilograms of marijuana in the suspect’s possession, valued at approximately 57,000 Liberian dollars in its equivalent, signaling that small but impactful quantities of drugs continue to saturate local markets.

Suspect Teah Toe, who, according to agents, was uncooperative during initial questioning, is currently undergoing forensic investigation procedures and is expected to be formally charged and forwarded to court to face prosecution.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at about 3:00 AM, the LDEA Grand Gedeh County Detachment scored yet another major breakthrough when they intercepted suspect Sam Karyogo, a 50-year-old Liberian, in the vicinity of Gbagbo Town.

Karyogo, according to investigators, was traveling from Niao Clan towards Sinoe County when he deliberately bypassed the official Gbagbo Town checkpoint, arousing immediate suspicion among the stationed officers.

An intensive search operation led to the discovery of 17 kilograms of marijuana concealed within the suspect’s vehicle, with an estimated street value of 1,700 United States dollars, an equivalent of 323,000 Liberian dollars, representing one of the largest single drug busts at the Gbagbo Town Checkpoint in recent times.

Following his arrest, suspect Karyogo was subjected to interrogation and evidence gathering, culminating in the compilation of a court docket pending judicial review.

LDEA agents emphasized that Karyogo’s method of operation, which entails bypassing official checkpoints, exposes the vulnerability of Liberia’s remote road networks to sophisticated trafficking schemes orchestrated by hardcore drug peddlers.

In another major drug enforcement action, on Monday, April 21, 2025, at approximately 10:30 AM, LDEA Maryland County Detachment operatives arrested suspect Patrick M. Bowman, a 19-year-old Liberian male from Pleebo City, following an undercover surveillance operation.

Suspect Bowman, identified as an active drug dealer within Pleebo City, was caught red-handed in possession of a substantial quantity of narcotics, including 135 parcels of marijuana and 29 pieces of Tramadol tablets, indicating a dual-trade operation combining cannabis and pharmaceutical contraband.

Authorities reported that the street value of the confiscated marijuana stands at about 40,500 Liberian Dollars, while the confiscated

Tramadol was valued at 11,600 Liberian dollars, underscoring the lucrative nature of illicit drug trafficking even at grassroots levels.

Bowman’s arrest, facilitated through close community collaboration and undercover monitoring, has been hailed as a critical success in dismantling emerging local drug networks in Maryland County.

LDEA has confirmed that suspect Bowman remains under intense investigation and will shortly face criminal prosecution as part of a broader crackdown on drug-related crimes in Maryland County.