Liberia incinerates $336 million of cocaine after senior police linked to haul
Liberian authorities destroyed about 4.2 tonnes of cocaine, valued at roughly $336 million, following the nation’s largest drug seizure and the charging of senior police officers.
Liberian law-enforcement agents set fire to roughly 4.2 metric tons of cocaine on Thursday, a haul estimated at $336 million, after the country announced its biggest drug bust to date. Police Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman said investigators identified senior officers who allegedly escorted the narcotics after it arrived in Liberia, leading to charges against the highway patrol chief, the major crimes head and a deputy commander at the main airport.
The seizure, made during a raid on a property in Duazon outside Monrovia, also resulted in the arrest of a Serbian national and a dual Colombian-Spanish national. In addition, 237 kg of cocaine seized earlier at Roberts International Airport was incinerated. The government framed the burning as a clear warning that Liberia will no longer be a safe haven for traffickers, as West Africa increasingly serves as a conduit for South American cocaine bound for Europe.
Why it matters
The bust highlights deep corruption in Liberia’s police and underscores West Africa’s growing role in global cocaine trafficking.
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