–Cargo Handler Says Its Weight Verification System Flagged Shipment Before Departure, Defends Security Role as Lawmakers Push to Suspend 25-Year RIA Concession Amid Expanding Drug Probe
MONROVIA – The company at the center of Liberia’s ongoing US$19.2 million cocaine investigation has mounted its strongest defense yet, insisting that its own internal procedures detected irregularities in the now-infamous shipment before it could leave the country and that its employees acted immediately by halting the cargo and notifying the appropriate authorities.
In a detailed public statement released early this week, GLS-Menzies, the concessionaire responsible for cargo handling operations at Roberts International Airport (RIA), said the shipment became the subject of scrutiny after its routine weight verification procedures uncovered discrepancies between the cargo presented for export and the accompanying documentation.
The company said the discovery prompted staff to immediately suspend processing of the shipment and alert the relevant authorities in accordance with established operational procedures.
“Our cargo handling procedures and weight verification process identified a discrepancy in a shipment presented for acceptance, and our team took immediate action in accordance with established procedures by stopping the shipment and notifying the relevant parties,” the company stated.
The statement represents the company’s most comprehensive explanation since authorities intercepted approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at an estimated US$19.2 million, at Liberia’s principal international gateway earlier this month—one of the country’s largest drug seizures in recent history.
Weight Discrepancy at Center of Investigation
The company’s latest explanation comes as investigators continue examining what appears to be conflicting documentation surrounding the shipment’s declared weight.
Documents and statements that have emerged during the investigation indicate that the shipment’s paperwork reflected different weight figures at various stages of processing, with discrepancies between the declared cargo weight and the weight physically recorded during acceptance procedures.
According to information previously reported by The Liberian Post, investigators are examining several reported weight figures associated with the shipment, including approximately 175 kilograms, 195 kilograms, and the eventual seizure of roughly 237.6 kilograms of cocaine concealed within six cargo boxes. Those inconsistencies have become a central focus of the investigation because they may help determine where along the cargo chain the irregularities first became apparent.
GLS-Menzies has not publicly disclosed the exact weight recorded by its personnel during verification, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. However, it confirmed that the discrepancy was significant enough to trigger its internal procedures and prevent the shipment from advancing through its cargo acceptance process.
The chronology also aligns with statements previously made by GLS Group, which maintained that the shipment was never manifested for export after company personnel detected the discrepancy and insisted that corrections be made before acceptance.
Defining the Company’s Role
Seeking to distance itself from allegations circulating in public discourse, GLS-Menzies devoted much of its statement to explaining the division of responsibilities among the various agencies and operators involved in export cargo processing at Roberts International Airport.
The company stressed that freight forwarders and shippers are responsible for declaring cargo contents and weight before presenting shipments for export.
Airlines or their cargo agents, it said, are responsible for verifying documentation and issuing Air Waybills, while the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) Security Department conducts the physical security screening of cargo using X-ray equipment and visual inspection before shipments are released for handling.
Only after cargo has been screened, cleared and marked with official security approval, GLS-Menzies said, does its operational responsibility begin.
At that stage, the company said, its role is limited to weighing shipments, confirming that the actual weight corresponds with the Air Waybill, preparing cargo documentation and coordinating aircraft loading.
It emphasized that it does not open, inspect or examine cargo contents, arguing that such activities fall outside its contractual mandate and operational responsibilities.
Company Says System Worked as Designed
GLS-Menzies also sought to reassure the public that the incident was an isolated occurrence rather than evidence of systemic failure within its operations.
The company noted that since assuming responsibility for cargo handling at Roberts International Airport under a 25-year concession awarded in 2017, it has never previously encountered an incident of this nature.
While acknowledging that international cargo operations inherently carry risks because of the many independent actors involved in the supply chain, GLS-Menzies argued that its own procedures functioned exactly as intended.
“The procedure concerning cargo within our control operated as intended,” the company stated, noting that its employees identified the discrepancy, escalated the matter internally and prevented the shipment from proceeding further through the export process.
The company further disclosed that it has provided investigators with CCTV recordings, cargo documentation, operational procedures and other records requested through judicial process, including compliance with a subpoena issued by the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County.
Legislative Pressure Intensifies
Despite the company’s explanation, political pressure surrounding the concession continues to mount.
Last week, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution requesting President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to temporarily suspend the operations of GLS-Menzies and Express Handling Services (EHS) pending completion of the ongoing investigation.
Lawmakers argued that temporarily removing both companies from airport operations would preserve public confidence while investigators determine whether weaknesses existed within Liberia’s cargo handling and airport security systems. Some legislators went even further, advocating outright revocation of GLS-Menzies’ concession agreement, although that proposal did not secure final approval.
The Senate has likewise begun examining the concession arrangement amid growing calls for greater oversight of airport cargo operations.
Growing Questions About the Cargo Chain
The company’s statement comes against the backdrop of an investigation that has expanded significantly since the June 8 seizure.
Authorities have designated multiple individuals as persons of interest while emphasizing that such designation does not amount to criminal guilt.
Meanwhile, statements submitted by Paul J. King, General Manager of GLS-Menzies and himself a person of interest, have shifted public attention toward questions about who allegedly arranged the shipment, when authorities were first notified, and whether previous consignments involving the same customer should now be re-examined.
King has reportedly maintained that GLS personnel detected inconsistencies in the shipment’s declared weight before acceptance and that the company alerted law enforcement after those discrepancies emerged. Those assertions, if independently corroborated by investigators, could become critical in establishing the precise sequence of events leading to the cocaine seizure.
Investigators are also examining broader allegations concerning earlier shipments, documentary records and the identity of individuals who may have organized or financed the attempted export.
International Credentials Under Spotlight
GLS-Menzies has repeatedly pointed to its international certifications as evidence of its operational standards.
The company said it operates under the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification and also holds Regulated Agent Third Country (RA3) certification issued by the European Union and the United Kingdom, internationally recognized standards governing aviation safety and cargo security.
The joint venture—formed between Liberia’s Global Logistics Services (GLS) and Menzies Aviation, which operates at more than 300 airports across 65 countries—said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any conduct that compromises aviation security.
It added that should the ongoing investigation establish wrongdoing by any individual connected to its operations, the company would fully support appropriate disciplinary and legal action.
Investigation Continues
The Ministry of Justice has repeatedly stressed that the investigation remains active and is now focused not only on the physical shipment itself but also on identifying any broader criminal enterprise that may have financed, organized or facilitated the attempted export of narcotics through Liberia.
As investigators continue reviewing documentary evidence, surveillance footage, electronic communications and witness statements, the conflicting weight declarations, the chronology of notifications and the responsibilities of each institution within the airport cargo chain are expected to remain central issues.
For GLS-Menzies, however, the company insists one point is beyond dispute: it says the shipment never left Liberia because its own internal verification procedures identified an irregularity before export—and that those procedures may ultimately prove to have been the first line of defense in preventing one of the country’s largest cocaine shipments from reaching the international market.
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