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Monrovia, Liberia: June 15, 2026 The Faith and Justice Network (FJN), through its Say No to Drugs Campaign across Liberia and the Mano River Basin Countries, commends the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the Joint Security Team, and all law enforcement officers whose efforts led to the interception of 198 compressed plates of cocaine valued at more than US$19 million at Roberts International Airport.
This seizure, reported as the second-largest cocaine interdiction in Liberia’s recent history, demonstrates the growing threat that international drug trafficking poses to Liberia, the Mano River Basin region, and West Africa as a whole. It underscores the urgent need for stronger border security, enhanced intelligence gathering, regional cooperation, and unwavering commitment to the rule of law.
However, while we applaud the successful seizure, we are deeply concerned by the prolonged silence surrounding key aspects of this case. This is not an ordinary criminal matter. It is a major national security issue that raises serious questions about organized crime networks, airport security systems, possible institutional weaknesses, corruption risks, and the capacity of our justice system to hold all perpetrators accountable regardless of status, wealth, or political influence.
The Government of Liberia, through the LDEA, has stated that details remain undisclosed because investigations are ongoing and evidence must be protected. While protecting the integrity of investigations is a legitimate concern, the Faith and Justice Network believes that the Liberian people deserve a clear explanation regarding the apparent inconsistency in how drug-related cases are handled.
For many years, the identities, photographs, and personal details of drug suspects have routinely been released to the public almost immediately after arrest. Ordinary citizens, vulnerable youth, and low-income individuals have often been publicly identified long before any court determined their guilt or innocence.
Today, however, in one of the largest drug seizures in Liberia’s history, the public is being told that disclosure could compromise the investigation. This raises legitimate concerns.
If withholding information is necessary to protect investigations, why was the same standard not consistently applied in previous cases? If premature disclosure can undermine prosecutions, why were many past suspects publicly exposed before trial. Justice must be consistent. The law must apply equally to everyone.
The fight against drugs cannot succeed if citizens begin to believe that one set of rules applies to ordinary Liberians while another applies to individuals with influence, connections, or power. Such perceptions weaken public confidence and undermine national efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
The Faith and Justice Network is not calling for the release of information that could endanger witnesses, compromise evidence, or undermine international law enforcement cooperation. Rather, we are calling for transparency, accountability, and equal treatment under the law.
We therefore respectfully urge the Government of Liberia, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Ministry of Justice, and the Joint Security Team to provide the public with a credible and comprehensive update on this investigation. Such an update should include the status of those arrested, ongoing efforts to identify financiers and facilitators, measures being taken to dismantle the broader criminal network involved, and assurances that no individual—regardless of position or influence—will be shielded from scrutiny.
As faith leaders, civil society advocates, and anti-drug campaigners throughout Liberia and the Mano River Basin region, we stand firmly in support of all lawful efforts to combat drug trafficking. We also stand firmly in defense of transparency, accountability, and justice.
The Liberian people deserve confidence that this investigation will follow the evidence wherever it leads. They deserve consistency in the application of the law. They deserve institutions that serve justice without fear or favor. Prolonged silence in a matter of this magnitude does not strengthen public trust—it weakens it.
Liberia deserves answers. “Together We Can Protect Our Communities from Drugs, Crime, and Corruption.”
Signed:
Rev. Dr. Tolbert Thomas Jallah, Jr.
Regional Executive Director
Faith and Justice Network (FJN)
Say No to Drugs Campaign
Liberia and the Mano River Basin Countries
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