-Marketed as candy
By Vaye Lepolu
The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) on Friday, May 3, 20 2024, disclosed that a new drug has been uncovered in Liberia known as Medifemia, also called Zumbi.
LDEA Deputy Director Col. Hassan Fadiga revealed that this drug, which is being sold in Liberia as if it were candy, is alarmingly weak in potency. The Deputy Director further disclosed that the Medifemia or Zumbi drug is being used as a form of exchange in various sectors such as gold mining, fishing, and other business activities.
The drug has been particularly prevalent in rural areas of Lofa, Ganta, and Grand Bassa, where it is being traded for goods like gold and fish. In Grand Bassa County, for instance, locals are exchanging the Zumbi drug solely for fish along the beach areas.
Col. Hassan Fadiga emphasized the need for increased support from the Liberian government and international partners to bolster the LDEA’s efforts in conducting intelligence investigations to combat drug trafficking across the country.
He highlighted the presence of harmful drugs like Cocaine, Kush, and cannabis in different parts of Liberia, including a penor building on Center Street in Monrovia.
The Deputy Director also mentioned that the Medifemia and Canda drugs are being mixed into products like milk candy and alcohol, which are then sold by various businesses.
He expressed concern over the prevalence of drug use among high school students, citing examples of schools like J.J. Robert School in Sinkor and others in Phynesville.
According to United Nations statistics, approximately 1.1 million Liberians are affected by drug use, with projections indicating a rise to 1.3 million users within six years.
The LDEA has also shared recent drug-related arrests, including cases involving individuals like Olivia Kollie, Odell Paye, Mark Johnson, Abraham Kamara, Asha Kamara, and Patricia Weah, who were apprehended with various drugs in different counties across Liberia.
The LDEA continues to work diligently to address the growing drug problem in Liberia and is calling for collaborative efforts to curb drug trafficking and substance abuse in the country.
They lamented that women are victims of wars and conflicts, where many women and children were reportedly killed, and that women also face enormous sexual exploitation during such conflicts which most times plunge them into poverty and deprivation.
