-WONGOSOL Presses Boakai for Full Transparency in Liberia’s Drug Trafficking Crackdown
Monrovia, Liberia – The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., to order a thorough, independent investigation into the cocaine trafficking scandal that has already led to the President’s demand for the dismissal of at least 11 government and law enforcement officials. However, WONGOSOL warns that administrative removals alone will not upend the criminal networks threatening Liberia’s security.
In a statement dated July 31, 2026, the women’s group commended the President’s swift action on Thursday but emphasized that accountability must extend beyond personnel changes. “These actions represent an important first step,” said Esther S. Davis Yango, Executive Director of WONGOSOL. “However, they must mark the beginning—not the end—of the accountability process.”
WONGOSOL is demanding that investigators follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute all culpable individuals to the fullest extent of the law. The organization is also urging authorities to respect the constitutional due process rights of all persons under investigation, emphasizing that the Liberian people deserve a thorough, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation.
President Boakai’s dismissals request on Thursday followed a review of investigations into two major cocaine seizures, including 198 plates of processed cocaine at Roberts International Airport and 3,971 plates confiscated from the premises of two foreign nationals. Those removed from office include senior officials from the airport, the Liberia National Police, the National Security Agency, and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
Among those dismissed are Mark Egon Kuiah, Deputy Director for Operations at Roberts International Airport; Johnny Bolar Dean, Commissioner of Police for Criminal Investigation, Intelligence and INTERPOL; and Patrick Doe, Deputy Director for Administration at the National Security Agency. The President also dismissed Mohammed O. Gbowrah, Director of Security at Roberts International Airport, and Moses Jallah, Deputy Commander of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency at the airport.
Two Liberia National Police officers, Anthony T. Blaye and Waddell W. Kwarbo, were also dismissed for allegedly using official government vehicles to facilitate the transportation of a narcotics consignment from Vincent Town along the Bomi Highway to the vicinity of Mega Mart in Thinker Village, Paynesville. Additionally, President Boakai has directed that Jammel V. Jallah, Christian L. Nyantee, and Albenigo Janior, all agents of the National Security Agency, along with Caycee Nelson, Procurement Director at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution. The President has also recalled Patrick Komasu, who had been seconded to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, suspended him without pay, and placed him under investigation.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency incinerated the $336 million worth of cocaine, in Careysburg.
The burning followed the arrest of two foreign nationals—one Colombian and one Spanish—and several Liberians allegedly connected to the operation.
The record-breaking seizure surpasses the 520 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $100 million discovered in October 2022 at the Sonit Liberia Corporation compound in Monrovia. That earlier operation, coordinated with United States and Brazilian authorities, uncovered cocaine hidden among frozen goods shipped from Brazil and led to charges against four men of Liberian, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Guinea-Bissauan nationalities.
The current case began in March 2026, when 237.6 kilograms of cocaine valued at over $19 million was discovered at Roberts International Airport inside cargo boxes falsely labeled as seasoning cubes. That investigation was later compromised after several principal figures fled the country during the probe. The $19 million seizure and the subsequent $3.17 million bust, which led to the arrest of the Colombian and Spanish nationals, together constitute the $336 million haul now destroyed.
WONGOSOL Identifies Systemic Vulnerabilities
WONGOSOL is warning that individual prosecutions, while necessary, will not suffice without comprehensive institutional reform. The civil society group is identifying Liberia’s extensive land borders, ports, airports, coastline, and territorial waters as critical vulnerabilities that transnational criminal networks can exploit when surveillance, coordination, intelligence-sharing, and enforcement mechanisms remain weak.
The organization is calling on the government to strengthen border management and maritime security systems, implement lasting reforms to law enforcement institutions, improve inter-agency coordination and intelligence gathering, and deepen collaboration with ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, the African Union, and the United Nations in combating transnational organized crime.
WONGOSOL is also urging increased investment in drug prevention, rehabilitation services, and public awareness initiatives, particularly for young people, who remain the most vulnerable to the devastating social and economic consequences of narcotics.
Moreover, the organization is drawing a direct connection between drug trafficking and corruption, noting that organized criminal networks often rely on corruption, abuse of public office, and weak institutional oversight to facilitate their operations. The statement emphasized that combating drug trafficking requires stronger integrity systems, effective oversight of security institutions, accountability within public service, and zero tolerance for officials who betray the public trust.
The women’s group is insisting that justice must remain impartial and accountability non-selective, regardless of position, influence, or political affiliation. The organization stressed that every individual found responsible must be held fully accountable and that accountability must not be selective.
WONGOSOL also believes the response to this case will determine not only public confidence in the justice system but also the country’s commitment to protecting its citizens, safeguarding its institutions, and upholding the rule of law. The civil society group is warning that drug trafficking fuels organized crime, weakens state institutions, destroys families, and undermines public confidence in government.
The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is a leading women’s umbrella organization established in 1998 to coordinate and strengthen women-led organizations across Liberia. The institution advocates for women’s rights, gender equality, peacebuilding, justice, and inclusive governance throughout the country.
