Breaking News: Paul King, Four Others Charged with Multiple Criminal Offenses in RIA Drug Bust

Monrovia, Liberia: The Liberian joint security team investigating the US$19.2 million Cocaine seizure at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) has officially charged Paul King, Operations Manager of the Global Logistics Services (GLS), alongside other identified suspects Micheal Browne, Oscar Browne, Emmanuel Kpah and Usman Ali with criminal offenses ranging from Illicit Trafficking in Controlled Drug, Unlicensed Exportation of Controlled Drug, and Criminal Conspiracy among others.

Presenting findings of the ongoing investigation on Saturday, Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman said the identified suspects are charged under the Amended Controlled Drugs and Substance Act of 2023 and Chapter 10 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.

IG Coleman said the investigation finds that Paul J. King, acting in his capacity as Operations Manager of GLS, and GLS itself acting through its operations structure, conspired, accepted, facilitated, stored, and transported the six-box consignment of cocaine through the airport cargo chain.

The joint security team disclosed that King has been charged under Chapter 14 Sections 84, 85, 89 and 93 of the Amended Controlled Drugs and Substance Act of 2023 and Chapter 10 Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.

According to the investigation, the GLS operations manager charges include: "Unlicensed exportation of controlled drugs or substances

• Unlicensed transportation and trading in transit of controlled drugs or substances 

• Unlicensed possession of controlled drugs or substances 

• Illicit trafficking in controlled drugs or substances and

• Criminal conspiracy".

Meanwhile, Coleman said findings in US$19.2 million probe revealed that Michael Browne alias Raheem Bah as a key player, linked to the organization of the shipment, the use of bogus front companies, the coordination of cargo falsely declared as Maggi cubes and lappas, and the attempts to recover the cocaine after it was discovered.

According to the Police Chief, Browne remains on the run, but has been charged in absentia under Chapter 14 Sections 84, 85, 89 and 93 of the Amended Controlled Drugs and Substance Act of 2023 and Chapter 10 Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia with criminal offenses of facilitations in concentration to the drug bust.

However, Oscar J. Browne, a scanner at the Airport has been charged for what the joint security team called deliberate clearing of the boxes containing the cocaine. On the other hand, Emmanuel Kpah was identified as the transporter and Usman Ali as consignee, as policy they remain on the run while being charged.

Further speaking during the investigation findings report, Gregory Coleman said Paul King has been held in custody and will be forwarded to court for prosecution in the coming days. He noted that other identified suspects who are said to be on the run, will be traced and made to face the full weight of the law.

"All suspects who are in hiding, outside the country, or otherwise evading the process of law are being pursued through every lawful means available to the Republic of Liberia, including arrest warrants, international law-enforcement cooperation, extradition requests, and mutual legal assistance mechanisms where applicable", the joint security team led by Coleman said.

According to official records from the investigation, the illicit drug transport at the port, was not as a result paperwork error, but a serious transnational cocaine trafficking operations using Liberia’s aviation and logistics system as a channel for organized crime.

The US$19.2 million worth of Cocaine was seized on June 8, 2026 by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency after receiving security intelligence. The drug bust stands as one large drug discoveries in the country in recent years.

The matter has raised public call for accountability, as the Liberia National Police, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Liberia Immigration Service and the Ministry of Justice push to prosecute the suspects.

Liberia has set Illicit drug trafficking is a non-bailable offense, while consumers face penalties including jail sentence.