-Arrests 70-Year-Old Female Suspect
MONROVIA, – In a raid accentuating the brazen nature of Liberia’s illicit drug trade, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has seized a large quantity of the synthetic drug Kush with an estimated street value of over one million Liberian dollars, concealed in an unlikely vessel: nine small mineral water bottles.
The seizure, which occurred in the densely populated Township of West Point, led to the arrest of a 70-year-old suspect, Mrs. Lucy S. Morris, marking a rare case of an elderly individual being implicated in high-value narcotics trafficking.
According to the LDEA, the operation was launched by its Special Drug Squad following a “credible intelligence tip-off,” highlighting the agency’s growing reliance on community information. The suspect is currently in custody undergoing processing and will be forwarded for prosecution under the stringent Amended Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023.
“The LDEA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and curbing the distribution of illicit substances across Liberia,” the agency stated in a release, signed by Chief of Public Relations G. Olando Demey.
The West Point bust is part of a broader offensive against drug traffickers who are adopting increasingly sophisticated methods to evade detection. In a separate incident, the LDEA’s Clay Checkpoint Detachment in Bomi County recently arrested a 45-year-old woman, Madam Emmon Gboyah, after officers discovered a large quantity of Tramadol pills concealed in several gallons of red oil during a routine vehicle inspection. The confiscated drugs in that case were valued at over nine hundred thousand Liberian dollars.
The back-to-back seizures point to a persistent and adaptive drug trade. The LDEA issued a public warning, noting that traffickers are now increasingly using motorcycles and tricycles (kekehs) to transport illicit substances, leveraging their maneuverability to avoid security checkpoints.
The arrest of a septuagenarian in a major drug operation has sent shockwaves through the community, suggesting that trafficking networks may be exploiting individuals less likely to draw suspicion from law enforcement.
“This is a clear signal that no one is above the law, and traffickers will use any means necessary,” a security analyst commented. “The methods—hiding drugs in cooking oil and water bottles—show a calculated effort to blend in with everyday commerce.”
The LDEA is urging continued public vigilance, calling on citizens to report suspicious drug-related activities within their communities.
