Liberia destroyed about 4.2 metric tons of cocaine, valued at an estimated $336 million, after announcing the country's largest-ever drug seizure. Senior police officials — including the highway patrol chief and the head of the major crimes unit — have been implicated and charged, and another airport officer is a suspect. The drugs were recovered during a raid in Duazon; two foreign nationals were detained. Authorities say the burnings aim to deter traffickers as West Africa remains a key transit route for cocaine bound for Europe.
Liberia Burns $336M in Cocaine After 4.2-Ton Seizure; Senior Police Officers Implicated
Liberian law enforcement agency officials prepare to burn cocaine consignments in Caraysburg in the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)(AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)
MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberian authorities publicly destroyed about 4.2 metric tons of cocaine on Thursday — a haul officials estimate is worth roughly $336 million — days after announcing the country's largest-ever drug seizure and revealing that senior police officers were involved in the operation.
Liberian law enforcement agency officials prepare to burn cocaine consignments in Caraysburg in the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)(AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)
Investigators say they identified officers who allegedly helped escort the shipment after it arrived in Liberia. The chief of the highway patrol and the head of the major crimes unit have been formally charged, and a deputy police commander stationed at Roberts International Airport is also a suspect, Police Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman said.
Liberian law enforcement officials burn seized cocaine in Caraysburg, Liberia, northeast of Monrovia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)(AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)
The Justice Ministry said the drugs were recovered during a raid at a property in Duazon, about 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the capital, Monrovia. Authorities detained a Serbian national and a dual Colombian-Spanish national, who were being questioned as part of an investigation into what officials described as a sophisticated transnational trafficking network.
Liberian law enforcement agency officials prepare to burn cocaine consignments in Caraysburg in the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)(AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)
In a separate action, Liberia's police, the drug enforcement agency and other authorities also incinerated 237 kilograms (522 pounds) of cocaine seized in June at Roberts International Airport — a cache officials value at more than $19 million.
Liberian law enforcement agency burn seized cocaine in Caraysburg, Liberia, northeast of Monrovia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)(AP Photo/Alexander Wiaplah)
Coleman said: "This destruction sends a clear message that Liberia will no longer be a place of comfort for traffickers."
West Africa has increasingly become a major transit corridor for cocaine moving from South America to Europe. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime estimates that at least 30% of cocaine bound for Europe now passes through the region, while local consumption — including of crack cocaine — has also risen.
Authorities said the operation exposed links between transnational smuggling networks and elements within the security services. The investigation is continuing and authorities have pledged further inquiries and reforms to strengthen oversight of police operations.
Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.
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