Liberia burns 4.2 tons of cocaine worth $336M in record bust

Liberian authorities incinerated 4.2 metric tons of cocaine — the country’s largest-ever drug seizure — on July 30, 2026, a haul valued at $336 million.

Justice Ministry officials said the cocaine was recovered during a raid on a property in Duazon, 17 miles (28 kilometers) from the capital, Monrovia.

The raid dismantled a sophisticated transnational trafficking network. It led to the arrests of two foreign nationals — a Serbian and a dual Colombian-Spanish national — who are now being questioned.

Three senior police officers face charges: the chief of highway patrol, the head of the major crimes unit, and a deputy police commander at Roberts International Airport.

Investigators said some officers had escorted the cocaine after it arrived.

Authorities also incinerated 237 kilograms (522 pounds) of cocaine worth more than $19 million that had been seized in June 2026 at Roberts International Airport.

Inspector General Coleman said the burnings were meant to send a clear message that Liberia is no longer a place of comfort for drug traffickers.

West Africa has become a key transit route for cocaine shipped from South America to Europe. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime reports that at least 30% of cocaine destined for Europe now passes through the region, and local consumption, including crack cocaine, is rising.