Liberia’s joint security forces are in control of yet another mysterious vessel — this time docked behind the Monrovia Central Prison — where two foreign nationals linked to ongoing drug investigations are being held.
Authorities confirmed early Thursday that a search is underway. “The AFL LCG took hold of the strange boat by 2 a.m.,” Chief of Staff Major General Davidson F. Forleh said.
Authorities have not explained why the vessel drifted toward the back of the Monrovia Central Prison, and no motive has yet been offered for its presence there.
A Familiar Pattern
This is not the first time a vessel shrouded in mystery has drawn the attention of Liberian authorities this year. In June, the IB Atlantic IV drew scrutiny after it was spotted off Grand Cape Mount County, near York Island in Tewor District, its prolonged offshore presence raising concern among residents and fishermen. That case dragged on for weeks: a 14-member Coast Guard tactical team backed by two boats was eventually dispatched to intercept it, and the vessel was ultimately seized in Ivorian waters before Liberia moved to bring it home. Despite the intense attention, authorities never publicly established that narcotics were found aboard the IB Atlantic IV.
That episode became a flashpoint for criticism of Liberia’s maritime security, unfolding against the backdrop of the country’s largest-ever narcotics case — a roughly $317-319 million cocaine seizure at a Paynesville stash house, involving an estimated 238 kilograms to nearly 4 metric tons of cocaine.
This is a developing story; updates will follow as authorities release further details on the identities of the two nationals and the contents of the vessel.
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