MONROVIA- Center for Human Rights and Democracy (CeHRD International) has warned that Liberia risks “losing a generation” to narcotics addiction after authorities intercepted a cocaine shipment worth US$19.2 million and nearly 3,971 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated US$317 million” which were seized at the Roberts International Airport and Duazon Community.
By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
Two foreign nationals accused in Liberia’s reported US$317.68 million cocaine trafficking case have been remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison after their initial appearance before the Paynesville City Court.
The suspects, one holding Spanish and Colombian passports and the other a Serbian passport, were formally charged following a major cocaine seizure allegedly destined for Europe.
The case is now before the court as authorities continue investigating the wider international drug trafficking network.
In a press conference, CeHRD Country Director, Danieletta Sleyon said the seizure should be seen not as a victory but as a wake‑up call.
“Every kilogram of narcotics that enters our communities represents a direct threat to the health, education, safety and future of Liberian youth,” she stated.
Sleyon ’s statement described how synthetic drugs such as “kush” are devastating young people, who make up more than half of Liberia’s population.
Accordingly, she said hospitals are seeing cases of organ failure and psychosis, schools are losing students to addiction, and families are breaking under the strain.
“This is not abstract damage,” Sleyon said. “It is visible in our streets, our schools, our hospitals, and our prisons.”
She indicated that weak border controls, porous ports, and corruption as the main reasons traffickers continue to exploit Liberia.
“Cartels are strong because our defenses are weak,” Sleyon warned, adding that corruption acts as “the oxygen that allows trafficking networks to thrive.”
Sleyon also criticized delays in prosecuting trafficking suspects, saying that while low‑level users are punished quickly, major cases drag on for years.
“This imbalance is a dangerous distortion of justice,” Sleyon noted.
She urged the government to fully investigate the RIA seizure and prosecute all implicated networks, regardless of status.
She, however, called on lawmakers to strengthen drug laws, the Ministry of Health to expand rehabilitation services and the Ministry of Education to integrate prevention programs into schools.
Security agencies, she said, must invest in modern scanning equipment, while the judiciary should move faster to deliver justice.
Sleyon appealed to ECOWAS, the African Union and international partners to step up intelligence‑sharing and financial support.
“Liberia is not acting in a vacuum,” Sleyon said. “We are bound by international conventions to protect our youth and to cooperate regionally against trafficking.”
She explained that at this moment the country needs the energy of its youth for post‑conflict recovery and development. “We are watching them disappear into addiction, incarceration and death,” Sleyon uttered.
“This is a national emergency, not just a crime problem.” She, however, commended the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency for the seizure but insisted that seizures alone are not enough.
“This bust is a reminder, not a solution,” Sleyon noted. “It must be the beginning of sustained, coordinated national action.”She added, “Liberia’s youth deserve a dignified life, free from the destruction wrought by illicit drugs. We cannot afford complacency. The cost is too high and the time is now.”
