By Patrick N. Tokpah
(Bong Contributor)
The Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Bong County has arrested a Nigerian national for illegally possessing a huge quantity of heroin.
Suspect Henry Okeke was arrested at the Belefanai Checkpoint on Tuesday with a huge quantity of drugs while enroot to Gbarnga for marketing.
Some residents who know suspect Okeke informed the LDEA office in Bong County that the suspect was engaged with drug trafficking over the past years and that his operation heavily affects a lot of youths at the various gold mining camps in the county.
Briefing the media on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, Bong County LDEA Commander Joseph K. Gokor said Okeke is one of the few suspects who have been arrested since he took over as commander for the county.
The Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency Bong County detachment placed a street value of US$7,700 which is equivalent to L$ 1,232,000.
Commander Gokor further revealed that recently, they also arrested a 25-year old drug trafficker identified as Naomi Tokpah with a huge quantity of drugs in the county.
He said suspect Tokpah was charged and sent to the 9th Judicial Circuit Court where she was found guilty of the crime and sentenced her to two and a half years in prison.
Suspect Okeke is currently in the custody of the LDEA and will be charged and sent to court shortly according to Commander Gokor.
However, the suspect has since refused to speak with the press.
Meanwhile, the LDEA Bong County Commander has launched an appeal to the Government of Liberia to help empower them and at the same time calls on residents of the county to help provide LDEA with information on suspected drug traffickers.
According to him, the lack of vehicles and motorbikes are the two major challenges they are currently faced with adding “We have to credit money from people to move around and now we owe gasoline sellers just to do an arrest by hiring commercial bikes.”
He said the only land-cruiser jeep that was used by his predecessors is currently down noting, “We want the government to help us with vehicles to make our job easier.”
Mr. Gokor said the effectiveness of the LDEA operations depends on the credible information citizens give them from the community adding, “It will be very difficult if a drug suspect is in a particular community then you have people hiding such person; so if the community members themselves give us the right information, we will be able to arrest anyone who is engaged in drugs business.”
