Liberian authorities are testing a 202.5 kg shipment from Malaysia that arrived at Roberts International Airport (RIA) via DHL. The shipment, declared as "Botanical Powder, Coffee, Candy," was sent by Dynamic Ace Global Sdn Bhd of Selangor, Malaysia, and consigned to a Tan Gouet Gerard at an address on Fiamah Coleman Avenue, Monrovia. The materials are being tested to determine whether they contain narcotics.
The shipment was assessed at RIA's collectorate on September 18, 2026, and released after $437.65 in duties, levies, and GST were paid in cash. However, the material apparently drew suspicion, prompting testing by Liberian investigators. The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and local customs officials have not confirmed at what stage the parcels were flagged or what triggered testing.
The suspected narcotics shipment is the latest in a string of major interceptions that have put Liberia at the center of West Africa's cocaine-trafficking corridor this year. On June 8, 2026, LDEA and joint security intercepted 198 compressed plates of cocaine (about 237.6 kg) hidden in six cargo boxes at RIA, bound for Europe via Brussels Airlines, valued at an estimated US$19.2 million.
In the following months, security forces raided a warehouse in Duazon, Margibi County, detaining two foreign nationals in what was then called the country's largest cocaine haul. Another large seizure was made on July 21-23, 2026, with nearly four tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated $317 million. These seizures have raised concerns about Liberia's growing role as a transit hub for cocaine moving from South America toward European and Middle Eastern markets.
Civil-society groups have repeatedly flagged Liberia's growing role in the cocaine trade and criticized a pattern where seizures are heavily publicized but prosecutions stall. The groups have called for more effective action to combat the problem. Liberian authorities are working with US authorities as part of an ongoing probe into the recent wave of drug busts in Liberia.
The shipment from Malaysia was packed across multiple DHL "GoGreen Plus" cartons, each marked with recommended-weight guides and shipping labels citing waybill number 96 5091 8255. The goods were packaged as ordinary consumer wellness products, including herbal supplements and gourmet coffee. The Liberia Revenue Authority cleared the shipment through customs before the material drew suspicion.
The outcome of the testing is not yet known, and the investigation is ongoing. The case highlights the challenges faced by Liberian authorities in combating the growing threat of cocaine trafficking in the country. Key suspects have been arrested, including former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who was arrested and later remanded in custody in connection with one of the biggest drug busts in Liberia's history.
Key points
- Liberian authorities are testing a 202.5 kg shipment from Malaysia for narcotics at Roberts International Airport.
- The shipment is the latest in a string of major interceptions that have put Liberia at the center of West Africa's cocaine-trafficking corridor this year.
- Civil-society groups have criticized a pattern where seizures are heavily publicized but prosecutions stall.
