Ganta, Nimba County – The Nimba County Detachment of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has arrested, charged and forwarded a 31-year-old Guinean national, Farsue Solomon, to court for alleged possession of compressed marijuana plates valued at over L$34,000 on the street.
By D. Franklin Doloquee
The interception occurred on Friday, March 7 around 1:30 p.m. during a routine security sweep at the bustling Ganta Checkpoint, a critical gateway in Ganta City, Nimba County’s vibrant commercial hub near the Guinea border.
This dusty border post, flanked by rolling hills and thronged with traders, motorbikes and market-bound trucks, serves as a frontline defense against cross-border smuggling.
Nimba County LDEA Commander, Special Agent Buster Jolon, briefed reporters after a preliminary investigation. He explained that officers spotted Solomon amid the midday rush of travelers entering the city on his weathered motorcycle.
A quick pat-down revealed a plastic bag of marijuana tucked in his belongings. Officers detained him on the spot and transported him to LDEA Headquarters in Ganta, a modest compound equipped with basic interrogation rooms and storage for seized contraband.
There, a thorough search of the motorcycle uncovered an additional one and a half plates of tightly compressed marijuana, cleverly hidden in a modified compartment beneath the seat, a common tactic among smugglers navigating the porous Yekepa border route.
Solomon, a wiry man with a scarred face and a history of informal trading between Guinea and Liberia, confessed in his voluntary statement that he had sourced the drugs across the border in Guinea, aiming to sell them in local Nimba markets amid rising demand.
Solomon faces formal charges of illegal possession, transportation and importation of controlled substances, violating Sections 14.89, 14.85, and 14.83 of Liberia’s Penal Code.
Authorities estimate the haul’s street value at about US$170, equivalent to roughly L$34,000 in Liberian dollars, enough to fuel a small local network.
Agent Jolon announced that Solomon will appear before the Magisterial Court in Ganta City for arraignment, joining a wave of recent drug cases.
Just days earlier, the LDEA nabbed several locals in Nimba for similar offenses. They now await trial at Sanniquellie Central Prison, a stark facility overlooking iron ore mines that has swelled with narcotics suspects.
The arrest underscores Nimba’s vulnerability as a smuggling corridor, where the Guinea border’s rugged terrain and informal trade routes facilitate drug flows from West Africa.
Commander Jolon reaffirmed the LDEA’s resolve, praising community tips and intelligence networks that led to this bust. Yet he candidly addressed hurdles: understaffed detachments, aging vehicles for patrols and vast territories that stretch officers thin.
“LDEA Headquarters is stepping up with more personnel and resources to seal these borders,” Jolon said, urging residents to report suspicious activity.
