Monrovia – Christopher Peters, the Officer-In-Charge of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) says most of the illicit drugs that enter Liberia pass through the Sierra Leone border.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)[email protected]
Peters took over the LDEA after President Joseph Boakai suspended Abraham S. Kromah, Director General, Hassan Fadiga, Deputy Director General for Operations, and Gbawou Kowou, Deputy Director General for Administration.
Peters is also charged to investigate the three men. According to an Executive Mansion release, Peters will remain in charge of the LDEA pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing on Thursday, the new Officer-In-Charge said the LDEA needs more support in fighting the illegal entry of drugs through the Sierra Leone border.
“From our observations so far Sierra Leone, the border side, and all of the other illegal entries; Sierra Leone is causing difficult problems for us,” Peters said.
He added: “Drug dealers are coming from Guinea and they pass through Sierra Leone and then they are using the Bo Waterside border.”
“Over the last two, or three days, there have been so many Kush coming out of Sierra Leone. It is a problem for us and we have to do something about it,” he said.
According to him, the LDEA needs to be more equipped with the latest modern technology and the use of security dogs to protect the border with Sierra Leone and all other borders across the country.
Still speaking, Peters said upon assuming the task at the LDEA, he was shocked by the manner and form in which the institution was disorganized.
“My disappointing moment was the day I walked into the LDEA. I went to familiarize myself with staffers and what I saw there was the LDEA as a broken institution, a forgotten institution of my government. I think we need to change that,” he said.
According to him, a lot of people at the LDEA are passionate about their work but need the relevant leadership and support to improve the institution.