Running Drug Cartel:

Liberians seem to be waking up to observe a troubling national security problem bordering on claimed coordinated drug cartel linking state actors.

In less than one month, Liberia has experienced two alarming cocaine busts in huge quantities; apparently napping the Unity Party ‘Rescue Mission’ in the butt against the governing party’s 2023 election campaign promise to combat illicit drugs, once elected to steer the affairs of the country.

In early June, slightly over US$19.2 million cocaine seizure occurred at the Robert International Airport (RIA) when the Peter and Paul King family through their company became custodian of the confiscated drug.

Few weeks in July, about US$317 million worth of cocaine was also disclosed seized in Duazon along the RIA Highway, thus fueling increased public fears, and agitation against Liberia seemingly becoming narcotic transit point in West Africa.

The latest cocaine bust has captured two foreign nationals, one of whom is said to be a Columbian, whose presence in Liberia; the Embassy near Monrovia, has emphatically denied knowledge of in terms of having record on him in the Latin American Mission’s data base.

Rodney D. Sieh, the Managing Editor of FrontPageAfrica newspaper, and consistent tracer of the ongoing drug busts, has been quoted as disclosing that the arrested foreign nationals were caught with drones being used in their operations to map up locations, and targets of state actors in the know of what the network mission is all about.

Sate Actors’ Link

Though it remains unclear to what extent the government feels embarrassed with state actors being allegedly linked to the drug busts, strategic deputies at Liberia Airport Authority (LAA); Liberia National Police (LNP), and National Security Agency (NSA) are reportedly being named to be connected to the cartel.

Accordingly, Mark Kuiah, Deputy Manager for Operations at the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) is allegedly being using a boat for drug shipment/ trafficking; though on social media he denied being arrested for any link for investigation.

Another state actor accused is LNP Chief of Patrol, Johnny B. Dean, a reported son of Maryland Senator Gberbo Brown, who reportedly received US$10,000 to provide free corridor for drug shipment out of the country. Yet, with a backfire, Patrol Chief Dean was swiftly dismissed from the LNP.

Also troubling is the revelation that the Deputy NSA Director for Administration, Patrick Doe, has allegedly played a role in the cartel either by close interaction, and connection with key operatives of the drug network.

Meanwhile, these latest developments appear to pinpoint at early speculations from the public during the June cocaine bust that big hands in government have been aiding and abetting the network, using their portfolios for financial gains at the detriment of national security.

As it stands, public pressure continues to mount on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to take concrete and decisive steps, either to suspend or dismiss whoever linked to the cartel in order to serve as a deterrent for state actors longing to join the drug band wagon.