–LDEA, Fire Service Rescue Suspected Narcotics-Blaze Victims in 72nd
By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh
72nd, PAYNESVILLE, Monrovia — At least two men were reportedly rendered unconscious following a fire and suspected chemical incident at a one-room apartment in the 72nd, Kpelle Town Community, Paynesville, where authorities are investigating allegations of clandestine narcotics-processing activities.
Personnel of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), accompanied by officers of the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) and the Liberia National Police (LNP), reportedly responded to the scene and rescued individuals affected by the incident.
Preliminary information suggests that the incident may have been connected to the processing of suspected narcotic substances, including kush and marijuana, although authorities had not publicly confirmed the identity or composition of the substances reportedly recovered at the scene.
Two Men Reportedly Rendered Unconscious
According to preliminary accounts and witnesses who spoke with The Liberian Post, several individuals had allegedly been using the one-room apartment for activities involving the processing of suspected narcotics for sale.
The occupants may have been exposed to smoke, fumes or other substances during the alleged activity, resulting in two men reportedly losing consciousness.
The two men were subsequently taken to a hospital for medical attention, while Annie Babu, identified as the main occupant of the apartment, had reportedly partially recovered.
The exact cause of the men’s unconsciousness had not been established at the time of this report.
Initial information indicated that at least **three individuals—two men and one woman—**may have been present around the time of the incident.
Main Occupant Denies Drug-Processing Allegations
Babu has denied allegations that she was involved in drug processing or dealing at the apartment.
Speaking to reporters, Babu identified herself as a dry-meat seller and said a blender reportedly found at the scene was used for drying fish and not for processing narcotics.
“I’m not abolishing anything in this place,” Babu said when questioned about what she was doing at the apartment at the time of the incident.
According to her account, she was contacted and asked to come to the area after the incident had already occurred.
“He called me and said, please come to the house quickly,” she stated.
Babu said she had earlier invited her fiancé, identified as Henry, along with one of his friends, to the house.
“They called me. They said, come here and see what’s in the house,” she recounted. “I said, I don’t know.”
She further alleged that suspected drugs and plastic materials had been brought to the location before the incident.
“They brought the thing over there, the drugs, the plastic. And the thing exploded and went over there,” she said.
Babu also claimed that she saw plastic material in the hands of a woman at the scene.
“Plastic was in her hand,” she said, adding that she did not know what the material contained.
According to Babu, rescuers later used water in an attempt to bring the situation under control.
“He took the water and threw it,” she said.
When questioned about an item reportedly found inside a freezer, Babu said she did not know how it came to be inside the apartment.
“That’s why we don’t know how it came over there,” she said.
Babu maintained that she was surprised to discover suspected drugs inside the apartment.
“I was surprised to see the drugs inside,” she stated.
She said she had been living at the apartment for approximately three months.
Authorities Yet to Confirm Substances
The claims surrounding the substances reportedly recovered at the scene remain unverified.
While information circulating at the scene suggested that the materials could have included cocaine, marijuana, opium or other controlled substances, authorities had not publicly confirmed the composition of the materials at the time of publication.
The precise cause of the fire or reported explosion, the nature of the substances involved and the circumstances that led to the two men’s unconsciousness remain unclear.
The roles, if any, played by the individuals present are also yet to be established.
LDEA Secures Scene as Investigation Continues
The LDEA reportedly secured and barricaded the area as investigators examined suspected substances, equipment and other materials believed to be connected to the alleged activity.
The agency, along with the Fire Service and Police, reportedly brought the immediate situation under control and worked to ensure the safety of residents and others around the location.
Babu’s account forms part of the preliminary information surrounding the incident and has not been independently verified. No conclusion has been reached regarding her alleged involvement in any narcotics-related activity.
The incident underscores the potential dangers associated with suspected clandestine narcotics-processing operations, not only to those directly involved but also to residents living nearby.
Further investigation is expected to determine what caused the incident, what substances were present, why the two men became unconscious and whether any criminal narcotics activity was taking place at the apartment.
Authorities are also expected to establish the identities and roles of the individuals who were present when the incident occurred.
