Liberia: Eugene Nagbe Alleges Official Collusion in Liberia's Cocaine Trade, Disputes Government's U.S.$19 Million Valuation

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing The Liberian Investigator, reported that Eugene Nagbe, a former senior official in ex-President George Weah’s administration, has alleged that Liberia’s recent cocaine seizures point to possible collusion between traffickers and people in authority. Nagbe made the comments Tuesday on Okay Morning Rush in Monrovia, arguing that large narcotics shipments could not pass through major entry points such as Roberts International Airport and the Freeport without either serious control failures or insider assistance.

Nagbe focused in particular on the government’s valuation of a June 8 seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport, which authorities placed at about US$19.2 million. He compared that figure with a 2022 seizure of 520 kilograms valued at US$100 million, saying the newer estimate appeared inconsistent unless officials explained differences such as purity, dilution or valuation methods. He said the lack of clarity risks weakening public trust in the government’s anti-drug efforts.

The report said Nagbe also referred to a newer case in the VOA Community and rejected the view that repeated seizures necessarily show progress, suggesting instead that they may indicate a growing trafficking problem. He contrasted the current cases with the 2022 operation, which he said involved support from U.S. partners and tracking from South America before the drugs were seized in Liberia.

According to the article, four people indicted in the 2022 case on charges including conspiracy, money laundering and unlicensed importation of controlled substances were later acquitted after a jury found prosecutors had not proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Nagbe blamed the judicial outcome and said Liberia’s anti-trafficking campaign will struggle if major cases collapse and officials cannot explain how drugs enter the country or how seizure values are calculated.