-Launches 90-Day Anti-Drug Strategy on Ghettos, Traffickers and Users
By Jessica Cox
Monrovia, September 4, 2025 The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has reaffirmed its commitment to building a safer and drug-free Liberia, unveiling sweeping reforms and a 90-day operational strategy aimed at tackling drug trafficking, demolishing ghettos, and curbing substance abuse nationwide.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), Acting LDEA Director Fitzgerald T. Biagosaid the agency is embarking on structural and organizational reforms to restore public confidence. Central to the plan, he explained, is a mandatory random drug test for all LDEA personnel to ensure integrity within the ranks.
“We want to make sure those fighting drug crimes are not themselves involved in drug abuse,” Biago stressed, adding that a new Strategic Structure and Policy Review Committee has already been established to strengthen the agency’s internal systems.
Biago outlined several policy priorities, including enhanced training for staff, development of uniform and communication policies, as well as stronger guidelines on evidence handling, arrests, and prosecution support. He also revealed ongoing consultations with government institutions, civil society, and private partners to expand prevention programs and support enforcement of health regulations on substances such as shisha and tramadol.
The LDEA chief urged security agencies, the media, and citizens to rally behind the initiative. “This fight is about the future of our children and the unborn. We must all stand together,” he said.
Meanwhile, Montserrado County Superintendent WhrowayBryant lauded the LDEA’s renewed push but cautioned citizens against taking the law into their own hands. He acknowledged growing public frustration over the rise in drug abuse but warned that mob violence undermines rule of law and puts innocent lives at risk.
“The fight against drugs requires coordination, patience, and a stronger task force. Citizens must resist mob justice and instead work with the authorities to bring offenders to book,” Bryant said.
