Court finds probable cause in $19M cocaine case

The Monrovia City Court has ruled that prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to try Paul Jamaal King and several co-defendants for attempting to smuggle 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over US$19 million, out of the country. Stipendiary Magistrate L. Ben Barco ordered the high-profile case transferred to Criminal Court 'C' for a full trial, marking a major milestone in one of Liberia’s largest narcotics busts. The case has intensified public scrutiny over security vulnerabilities at Roberts International Airport (RIA) and Liberia’s capacity to intercept transnational drug trafficking networks. King and his co-defendants face charges including criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation, and the unlicensed importation, exportation, possession, sale, and trafficking of controlled substances under Liberia’s Penal Law and the Drug Law of 2023. The ruling followed a preliminary examination requested by King, during which state prosecutors built their case around testimonies from key witnesses, revealing a coordinated scheme to traffic narcotics through Liberia’s airport system.