Cocaine worth $370m seized in Liberia's biggest-ever drugs bust

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Cocaine worth $370m seized in Liberia's biggest-ever drugs bustImage source, Liberia National Police/FacebookImage caption, Liberian Vice-President Jeremiah Koung praised the security forces for the operationByMakuochi OkaforPublished29 minutes agoA huge quantity of cocaine has been seized during a raid on a suspected illegal storage facility near Liberia's capital, Monrovia, in what authorities say is the biggest drugs bust in the country's history. Videos and photos released by police showed dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes inside a lorry that investigators believed contained high-grade cocaine. Police chief Gregory Coleman told the that forensic tests had confirmed the substance was cocaine, with an estimated street value of more than $370m (£220m).

Several people were arrested during the raid in Duazon, a town about 20km (12 miles) east of Monrovia, including two foreigners and several Liberians. No formal charges have yet been announced for those arrested. The police chief said the seizure on Tuesday was the result of a long-running investigation into suspected drug-trafficking networks operating in Liberia.

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"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. It is still unclear from where the drugs originated or their intended destination. Coleman told the that the police had been investigating that when the two foreigners subsequently arrived in Liberia and were arrested.

He confirmed that one of them was carrying two passports - a Spanish one and a Colombian one - while the other held a Serbian passport. Image source, Liberia National Police/FacebookImage caption, It is still unclear from where the drugs originated or their intended destinationLiberian Vice-President Jeremiah Koung praised the security forces for the operation and said whosoever was found culpable would "feel the full weight of the law, regardless of who you are". The Duazon operation follows the interception of six cargo boxes at Roberts International Airport last month after security officers detected irregularities during screening.

The shipment, falsely declared as containing food seasoning and textiles, was found to contain nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine destined for export, according to investigators. The airport seizure sparked political controversy after critics accused the authorities of moving too slowly to identify suspects, raising concerns that some people linked to the case had left the country before arrests could be made. President Joseph Boakai subsequently ordered a joint investigation involving police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.