A raid by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency in a mangrove swamp in 72nd community, Paynesville has led to rounding up of several drug users, predominantly youth.
By: Emmanuel Wise Jipoh
Monrovia, Liberia; September 15, 2025 – In an effort to clamp down on drug users and a bold move to reclaim communities from the grip of illegal drugs, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) on Thursday, 11th September 2025, conducted a large-scale raid at a dangerous mangrove swamp hub of drugs along the Boulevard-72nd Road.
The Mangrove of 72nd Boulevard has been hosting over 200 drug users, who sleep day and night under cold and flowing water to consume illicit substances.
During the raid led by Deputy Officer-in-Charge for Operations of the LDEA, Patrick Kamasu, at least 18 drug users were arrested, while dozens of others fled deeper into the Mangrove Swamp and underwater hideout, as agents marched in to clear out their sleeping area.
Speaking briefly about the raid, LDEA Deputy Officer-in-Charge for Operations, Kamasu, said the move is a bold step to clamp down hard on users and traffickers.
“We are not going for drug users. “Our move is about traffickers, who are the main doers, and we are robust to this around Monrovia,” he said.
He assures that the LDEA operations will continue in wider Monrovia as part of robust efforts to make Liberia a drug-free nation.
“We are moving in every community and every hub; our next stop won’t be disclosed, but we are rampant in this,” he said.
According to the LDEA, the influx of narcotics into Liberian communities has contributed to a dramatic rise in addiction, particularly among young people. The Agency has vowed to intensify raids, surveillance, and community outreach programs aimed at tackling both the supply and demand sides of the drug crisis.
The LDEA is calling on the public to support its efforts by reporting suspicious activity and working together to rid communities of the scourge of drugs.
The operation uncovered drugs, including dozens of Sparking Kush, heroin, Tramadol, and cocaine, as the LDEA demolished hideout.
At the same time, vigilant officers of the LDEA pleaded for more budgetary support and logistics to empower and energize their move into hard-to-reach drug hideouts to hunt traffickers.
“As you can see here, we are moving into the swamp. You yourself can see how dangerous this place is, and sometimes, we meet with attacks and resistance,” an officer said.
Meanwhile, a few arrested drug users pleaded to the government of Liberia to construct a rehabilitation home as part of its mission.
“Every day the DEA comes, they will clear us, and after two days, we will come back, because we have no home, nowhere to go. Our parents have abandoned us,” a user said. Editing by Jonathan Browne
