Lawmaker Urges Joint Security to Arrest Liberian Accomplices as Colombian and Spanish Nationals Nabbed in Margibi Raid
By Obediah Johnson
Monrovia – Senator Amara Konneh, Chairman of the Liberian Senate’s Public Accounts and Audit Committee, has voiced deep concern over Liberia’s growing involvement in international drug trafficking following the latest seizure of cocaine worth millions of U.S. dollars in Duazon, Margibi County.
The comments came after a joint security operation on Tuesday raided a suspected drug stash house in Duazon, leading to the arrest of a Colombian and a Spanish national. The arrests are the first foreign detentions linked to the ongoing investigation into the more than US$19 million cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport (RIA) earlier this month.
“We have been investigating since the seizure of the US$19 million drugs at the RIA. Our painstaking investigation and smart police work led us to the stash house,” a senior member of the Joint Security Task Force appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai told FrontPage Africa at the scene on Tuesday.
Reacting to the latest breakthrough, Senator Konneh, in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, praised the security forces but insisted that foreign traffickers could not have operated in Liberia without the assistance of local collaborators.
“We thank our security network for this new bust. Liberians deserve to know the origins of these narcotics and how they entered Liberia. It is inconceivable for foreigners to import such a large consignment into Liberia without local support.”
The Gbarpolu County senator warned that anyone downplaying the growing threat of narcotics trafficking is ignoring clear warning signs.
“Those minimizing this threat are ignoring the signs that Liberia is becoming a haven for drug lords,” Konneh said, adding that the drug trade is placing the country’s youth, national security, and international reputation at serious risk.
He stressed that combating drug trafficking should be treated as a national priority.
“This is everybody’s problem,” Konneh said, calling for stronger and more coordinated action to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating in the country.
The Duazon operation marks the most significant breakthrough since authorities intercepted 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at more than US$19 million, at Roberts International Airport in early July.
Investigators have disclosed that most of the principal suspects in the airport seizure—including the alleged mastermind—fled Liberia before arrest warrants could be executed.
The case has since sparked intense public and political scrutiny, with opposition figures accusing the Boakai administration of moving too slowly and selectively in pursuing those responsible.
While the arrests of the Colombian and Spanish nationals represent a major development in the investigation, Senator Konneh challenged the Joint Security Task Force to identify and apprehend the Liberian accomplices and financiers allegedly facilitating the international drug trafficking operation.
Authorities have yet to disclose the exact quantity or estimated street value of the cocaine recovered during Tuesday’s raid, saying the drugs were still being counted as the investigation continues.
