MONROVIA – Just two days after the suspension of the Director of Security, Samuel Freeman, at the Roberts International Airport due to alleged involvement in drug smuggling through an unauthorized gate, there has been a burglary at the Liberia Revenue Customs offices located at the airport.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
The burglary was confirmed by the Communications Manager at the Liberia Revenue Authority, Danicius K. Sengbe, who also dismissed any links to the recent drug bust.
“I confirm that there was a burglary at the Liberia Revenue Authority’s Customs Office at the RIA. Our offices and examination hall were broken into, and the suspect, Joe Welh, has been arrested and handed over to the police. Welh is a staff member of Elite Facility, a janitorial company contracted by the LRA for cleaning services. It appears that Welh arrived at work early and entered the ceiling to steal goods from the examination hall. Currently, no missing items have been reported as the police continue their investigation,” Mr. Sengbe said.
However, the burglary occurred at a time when there had been a demand from the public for the publication of the airwaybill on which the consignment containing the drugs came into the country via Kenya Airways.
An airwaybill or AWB is a document that accompanies goods shipped by an international courier, allowing for tracking. It serves as a receipt of goods by an airline, as well as a contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier.
FrontPageAfrica gathered on Sunday that Mr. Freeman and the consignment he was escorting in a bus were intercepted by soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia assigned at the airport. Initially, he informed them that the boxes belonged to the President’s Chief of Protocol, Ms. Nora Finda Bondo. He, however, denied linking Ms. Bondo to the boxes when confronted by the Acting Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), Mr. Martin Hayes.
An aviation expert informed FrontPageAfrica that while the physical copy of the airwaybill could be of importance as no stone can be left unturned, it is unlikely that the burglary at the Customs office at the airport was a result of a search for the airwaybill.
The aviation expert said that while there might be something sinister about the breakthrough, it is also possible that it is a result of common theft and may not have any link to the recent drug bust. FrontPageAfrica further gathered that the airwaybill cannot be removed from the system of GLS NAS, the company responsible for ground handling at the Roberts International Airport, without the involvement of its head office in France.
The consignment that was confiscated and turned over to the Customs Department of the Liberia Revenue Authority for nearly two weeks before they were opened for inspection was initially said to contain organic moringa tea. However, further tests conducted on the herbal product by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) using test kits provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that the packages contained methamphetamine or meth.
Methamphetamine, commonly known as Meth, is a synthetic stimulant with a high potential for addiction. It is sought after for its ability to induce euphoria and violent behavior, often described as a feeling of well-being, which can endure for up to 24 hours. Methamphetamine is readily accessible and affordable, particularly to adolescents, due to its relatively low production cost.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean Jr., ordered the Joint Security of Liberia, as well as the LDEA, LNP, and the NSA, to expand their investigations into the importation of illegal drugs with the aim of bringing to justice all those involved.
Speaking to journalists at the Roberts International Airport, Mr. Samuel Freeman, the RIA chief of security, said the boxes were confiscated and placed in the Customs’ warehouse since August 31. However, he became concerned when FrontPageAfrica reported in its Monday, September 11, 2023, edition that he was allegedly involved with drugs.
Meanwhile, President Weah has strongly refuted allegations made by opposition leaders regarding his government’s involvement in drug importation into Liberia.
Opposition figures within Liberia have accused the CDC government of significantly contributing to the influx of drugs into the country, which they argue is causing harm to the younger generation of Liberians.
However, during a recent political rally held at Gbarnga, Bong County, at the David Kuyon Sports Stadium on September 13, President Weah dismissed these allegations. He asserted that the issue of drug abuse in Liberia has been a longstanding problem, one that dates back many years, and he emphasized that his government should not bear sole responsibility for it.
President Weah candidly shared that he personally encountered the drug issue in Liberia during his youth, even when he served as a Senator, and now as the President of the country. He went on to point out that during the tenure of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former Vice President Joseph Boakai, Liberia witnessed a significant influx of drugs.
President Weah elaborated on this, recalling that during that time, several government officials were apprehended for their involvement in drug-related activities. He cited a specific incident involving the former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), who was apprehended with drugs in his vehicle along the Liberia-Sierra Leone border during Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s presidency and Joseph Boakai’s tenure as Vice President.
Furthermore, President Weah highlighted his administration’s commitment to combating the drug problem in Liberia. He emphasized the importance of the recently enacted drug laws in the country as evidence of their dedication to this cause.