A Sierra Leonean national is among four individuals recently charged by Liberian authorities in a significant drug trafficking operation. Mohamed Nyallay, along with two Liberian nationals, was apprehended by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) for allegedly trafficking a large quantity of ‘Kush,’ a synthetic drug.
The drugs, packed in two boxes weighing a total of 10 kilograms, were intercepted at Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Monrovia on July 19, 2024. The shipment, arriving on a Brussels Airlines flight (SN245), was discovered by customs officials.
Nyallay, who is accused of being an accomplice, faces charges alongside a clearing agent from United Parcels Services and the intended recipient of the shipment. The drug was identified as Methamphetamine, a precursor for Kush, which is currently driving a drug crisis in the region.
Christopher Peters, the Officer-In-Charge of LDEA, announced the arrest at a press briefing, also revealing a larger drug seizure at Bo Waterside, the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. The additional consignment, found in a Guinean-registered minibus driven by Liberian national Abass Sannoh, weighed 31 kilograms with an estimated street value of USD620,000 (LD1,017,800).
Peters criticized the porous borders with Guinea and Sierra Leone, which he believes exacerbate the drug problem in Liberia. He emphasized that regional cooperation is crucial in tackling the drug crisis. The LDEA is working closely with Sierra Leonean authorities through their embassy in Monrovia and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Freetown to enhance collaborative efforts against drug trafficking in the sub-region.
