Liberian authorities have seized cocaine worth more than $370 million (about Sh48 billion) in what has been described as the country's biggest drug bust, following a raid on a suspected illegal storage facility near the capital, Monrovia.
The operation was carried out in Duazon, a town about 20 kilometres east of Monrovia, where investigators recovered dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes packed inside a lorry. Photos and videos released by police showed the large haul, which forensic tests later confirmed was high-grade cocaine.
Police chief Gregory Coleman said the drugs, whose estimated street value exceeds $370 million (£220 million), were confirmed to be cocaine after laboratory analysis.
Several suspects were arrested during Tuesday's operation, including two foreign nationals and several Liberians. However, no formal charges have yet been announced against those in custody.
Coleman said the breakthrough followed a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking networks believed to have been operating in Liberia for years.
"Between 2018 and 2023, apparently there was a resurface of major trafficking and transiting in Liberia. Over the last one-and-a-half years, we've been surveilling them and this is the result of that operation," said Coleman.
He said the drugs were "tested and confirmed" to be cocaine.
It was "largest drugs bust" in Liberia in recent years, he added.
Investigators are still trying to establish where the shipment came from and where it was headed.
Coleman said the investigation was ongoing when the two foreign suspects entered Liberia and were arrested. He confirmed that one suspect was carrying both Spanish and Colombian passports, while the other held a Serbian passport.
Liberian Vice-President Jeremiah Koung praised the security agencies for the successful operation, warning that anyone found responsible would face the law.
He said whosoever was found culpable would "feel the full weight of the law, regardless of who you are".
The latest seizure comes only weeks after another major cocaine interception at Roberts International Airport. Last month, security officers stopped six cargo boxes after detecting irregularities during screening.
The shipment had been declared as containing food seasoning and textiles, but investigators later found nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine that were allegedly being prepared for export.
That airport seizure sparked criticism after some accused authorities of taking too long to identify suspects, raising concerns that people linked to the case had managed to leave the country before arrests were made.
President Joseph Boakai later directed police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency to carry out a joint investigation. Several suspects have since been charged, while international arrest warrants are being pursued for others who remain at large.
West Africa has for years been viewed by international law enforcement agencies as a major transit route for cocaine moved from South America to Europe, with traffickers taking advantage of weak border controls in parts of the region.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime estimates that at least 30 per cent of cocaine destined for Europe now passes through West Africa. The organisation also says local use of cocaine, including crack cocaine, has been rising.
According to the group, cocaine seizures across West Africa have continued to increase since 2019, reaching about 30 tonnes in 2025.
The United Nations has also warned that drug trafficking groups are becoming more organised, saying the "increasingly sophisticated operations launched by drug cartels is an issue of great concerns".
Liberia has recorded several major drug seizures in recent years, including the interception of 520 kilograms of cocaine at Monrovia's seaport in 2022.
Since taking office in 2024, President Boakai has reshuffled the leadership of Liberia's drug enforcement agency several times as his administration faces growing pressure to curb drug trafficking.