MONROVIA, Liberia – The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) is taking a stronger stance against the illicit drug trade, announcing that properties linked to trafficking, smuggling, or possession of illegal substances will now be seized. Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald Biago delivered this warning last Thursday at the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions (CEIO) in Central Monrovia.
“Houses, cars, and motorcycles found with illegal drugs will be seized by the state,” Biago declared. “If we arrest drugs in a house, that house isn’t yours again. If we arrest drugs in a car, that car isn’t yours again.”
He cited a recent case involving a petroleum truck in Grand Cape Mount County allegedly carrying tramadol, underscoring the agency’s commitment to enforcing forfeiture laws.
Since his appointment in August 2025, Biago has sought to reshape the LDEA’s approach, emphasizing community engagement and public accountability. “I want to reach a place where my children can leave their clothes outside overnight and find them safe in the morning, then I’ll know we’re making progress,” he said.
Biago stressed that the crackdown targets narcotics, not political groups or individuals. “We’re doing this for the victims, the children, the parents, the communities destroyed by drugs. This is not about UP or CDC; it’s about saving lives,” he noted.
President Joseph Boakai, in his First State of the Nation Address in January 2024, had declared drugs and substance abuse a public health emergency, vowing to take the lead by submitting to a drug test alongside his Vice President. Since then, the administration has intensified efforts to curb the growing crisis, especially concerning “KUSH” and tramadol.
The recent policy by the LDEA to seize assets used in drug operations has been welcomed by political pundits and civil society, who believe it strengthens enforcement and signals a new seriousness in Liberia’s fight against illicit drugs.
