Liberia Seizes Four Tons of Cocaine Bound for Europe

Liberian police seized 3,971kg of cocaine, valued at an estimated $317m, in one of the largest drug busts ever recorded in the country. The drugs were discovered on Tuesday in the town of Duazon, near the capital, Monrovia.

Police arrested two suspects, one holding both Spanish and Colombian passports and the other a Serbian passport. Investigators have not yet determined the origin of the shipment. Police said chemical analysis and an examination of markings on the packages would be necessary.

Liberia is one of several West African countries used by smugglers as a transit point for cocaine shipments from South America to Europe.

Last month, authorities seized another 237.6kg of cocaine worth more than $19m at the international airport near Monrovia. Police inspector general Gregory Coleman said the shipment was linked to Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe's most wanted drug lords.

Investigators have not yet found a connection between the two cases. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says West Africa is playing an increasingly significant role in the global cocaine trade.

(Reuters, Lud)