July 22, 2026, 7:10 p.mJuly 22, 2026, 7:10 p.m
Investigators found almost four tons of the “snow” packed in boxes.Image: Liberia National Police
Investigators in Liberia, West Africa, seized 3.9 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $370 million in a raid. It is by far the largest drug discovery in the coastal country in recent years, said Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah at a press conference on Tuesday evening. The police confirmed the estimated value of the find to the British broadcaster BBC.
The seized cocaine was packed in boxes and suitcases and was kept in a house on the outskirts of the capital Monrovia. Two foreign nationals were arrested during the raid. According to local media reports, it is said to be a Colombian and a Serbian citizen. Accordingly, the raid was preceded by months of investigations into the cartel environment and the discovery of 237 kilograms of cocaine at Monrovia airport in June.
For years, West Africa has been considered an increasingly important hub for cocaine smuggling from Latin America to Europe. Experts say criminal groups are increasingly turning to routes via West African countries after controls at European ports were tightened. According to the think tank Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), around a third of cocaine in Europe is now smuggled via West Africa, and the trend is rising. (sda/dpa)