Liberian authorities incinerate $336 million in cocaine

Liberian authorities have incinerated approximately 4.2 metric tons of cocaine worth about $336 million, following the country’s largest drug seizure. The bust uncovered a sophisticated transnational trafficking network involving implicated senior police officials, including the chief of the highway patrol and the head of the major crimes unit, who now face charges. A deputy police commander from Roberts International Airport is also under investigation. The drugs were recovered during a raid in Duazon, near Monrovia, and two foreign nationals—a Serbian and a Colombian-Spanish dual citizen—were arrested. Additionally, authorities destroyed 237 kilograms of cocaine valued at over $19 million, seized previously in June. The police chief emphasized that the destruction of the drugs is intended to send a strong message against trafficking in Liberia. West Africa has increasingly become a key cocaine transit route from South America to Europe, taking advantage of the region's weak enforcement and porous borders. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, around 30% of Europe-bound cocaine transits through West Africa, with local consumption also on the rise.