A former soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Captain Jerry K. Kollie, has recommended what he terms as effective strategies to strengthen the fight against illicit drugs in Liberia.
Captain Kollie, on Sunday, August 10, 2025, seventy-two hours after the massive “Say No To Drugs” march, issued several suggestions or recommendations to the Government Liberia, particularly the President and Commander-In-Chief, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, on how to enhance the fight against drugs.
According to Captain Kollie, government must review diplomatic immunities and other exception protocols for senior government officials. This, he said, is because there are intelligence reports about the high possibility that some unscrupulous officials are abusing their immunity at airports and other ports of entry to either smuggle or facilitate the smuggling of drugs into the country.
Captain Kollie has also suggested that Government, through the Foreign Ministry, works closely with foreign counterparts and diplomatic missions to ensure that diplomats, or people acting under diplomatic cover, do not abuse their immunity and other privileges to import or traffic drugs in Liberia, a call which he said is also based on the possibility that some foreign diplomats are abusing their immunity to smuggle drugs or facilitate the trafficking.
The ex-AFL Captain wants the National Security Agency (NSA), Executive Protective Service (EPS), Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), and the Liberia National Police (LNP), shine an eagle eye on all official motorcades/convoys, including those of the President, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, President Pro-Tempore, and other senior officials that are traveling under escort. This, according to him, is because unscrupulous activities could be taking place in those motorcades (convoys), maybe not necessarily to the knowledge of the escorted VIPs.
“Exceptions and considerations on traveling local and international bishops, inmans, clerics, and other high-profile religious leaders, must be reviewed, because there are reasons to believe that people could be hiding behind the Bible, Quran and other religious symbols to smuggle drugs.
Jerry Kollie, former Chairman of the Disbanded Armed Forces of Liberia and an anti-nacautic activist, is calling on government to ensure that celebrities, in all categories, must be subjected to regular routine search with no preferential treatment at all ports of entry, to avoid people hiding behind their celebrity status to evade thorough search, because there’s possibility also, that some of these celebrities could be abusing their fames to carry drugs.
He also called on wives, husbands, and all family members to be patriotic enough to inform authorities about the suspected criminal behaviors or activities of their relatives, friends and loved ones, because there are cases where girlfriends and boyfriends shield their criminal partners and benefit from their unlawful acts. This, he said, also applies to parents and spouses who shield and defend the shady deeds of their children and partners.
Kollie emphasized that, government, through the Ministries of Education, Justice and Health, must strengthen school inspection and regulations, because there are credible intelligence that illicit drug sale and abuse have permeated schools, universities, hospitals and prison facilities throughout the country.
“We, as patriotic citizens, remain committed to supporting any and all legitimate efforts to fight and eliminate illicit drug trafficking, distribution, sale and abuse in our country,” Captain Kollie promised.
