Three of the suspects concerned within the cargo of the US$100 million value of cocaine to Liberia have been taken to the Monrovia City Prison after the court docket compelled the Liberian authorities to provide their residing our bodies.
Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djibril Djalo and Oliver Allen Zayzay have been arrested by the federal government of Sierra Leone and turned over to the Liberian authorities on October 6 however have since been within the holding cell of the Liberia National Police (LNP) for 23-day present process investigation.
Their attorneys sought habeas corpus arguing that they’d been held past the statutory 48 hours. But the federal government, however, contended that they have been being held within the curiosity of nationwide safety.
The defendants on October 1, 2022, hid in twenty-eight (28) cartons of pig toes labeled with Alegra meals which was seized on the SONIT Liberia Incorporated compound, Topoe village, Japanese Freeway, Montserrado County.
During background investigation, it was established that on October 1, 2022, a Lebanese man defendant Issam was seen on the Fresh Frozen Food Company positioned Bong Mines Pearl with co-defendant Conte negotiating for the acquisition of the container marked MNBU4070592 on behalf of co-defendants Conte and Adulai.
It was established that defendant Issam escaped upon the arrest of co-defendants Conte and subsequently fled to neighboring Sierra Leone together with co-defendants Oliver and Adulai primarily based on their involvement into the drug syndicate.
The defendants have been charged with unlicensed importation of managed medicine, cash laundering, medicine trafficking, felony Conspiracy and felony facilitation. They are actually detained on the Monrovia Central Prison.
It might be recalled {that a} Guinea-Bissauan nationwide recognized as Malam Conte, 31, was arrested by the LDEA and National Security Agency (NSA) in reference to a reported US$100 million value of cocaine positioned in a container sure for Monrovia.
According to the report, the safety equipment picked up the suspect following a nicely verified Intel from the U.S. authorities, noting that following the arrest, suspect Conte admitted having reference to the consignment and reiterated that he has since arrived within the nation about two weeks in the past to await the consignment.
However, following the arrest of the consignment, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the National Security Agency and companions Wednesday, October 5, 2022 burned to ashes the cocaine value US$100 million or LD15 billion.
However, the burning excise which passed off on the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia was noticed by the U.S Embassy, the CIA, the United Nation, the Armed Forces of Liberia and the Media amongst others.
Speaking to the media through the burning train, Liberia’s Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean reiterated his caveat that Liberia isn’t a protected haven for medicine traffickers, whether or not as a degree of transit or ultimate vacation spot.
The nation’s Attorney General on the similar time additional declared Liberia as a “No-Go-Zone” for present or would-be drug legislation, stressing, “We want to be very clear that Liberia will not be a safe haven for any drug traffickers, whether as a point of transit or final destination.”
He added that these arrested will face the total weight of the Liberian legislation, declaring that the joint safety has taking seized of the matter and thereby declaring the premises of SONIT Liberia Incorporated, in Topoe’s Village as a criminal offense scene.
Minister Dean on the similar time then thanked the United States authorities, via its Embassy in Liberia and its Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement, for the super help to Liberia within the struggle in opposition to drug trafficking and different transnational crimes.
For his half, the LDEA Director General, Marcus D. Zehyoue, stated as per the character of the arrest and the situation beneath which the search was carried out, they couldn’t conclude all the search however hoped to do this by each means doable.
According to him, along with the knowledge posted in regards to the alleged accomplices to suspect Malam Conte, the intelligence dragnet has efficiently arrested a Lebanese nationwide recognized as Issam Mekki, disclosing that Mekki was arrested throughout the Bo-Waterside on the Sierra Leone border whereas trying to flee the nation.
He added that Mekki was then ordered to be introduced again to Monrovia with speedy impact, including that one of many accomplices, Gustavo Henrique, fled the nation on Saturday night.
“This morning, I have with immediate effect commissioned my investigation department to begin a full-scale investigation into the arrest, to include all those who may have connections to the reported syndicates, whether directly or indirectly,” he stated.
The LDEA boss additional maintained that the federal government, via the DEA, is taking each step doable to make sure that the crime scene stays a precedence and that they can attain out to each supply mandatory to help the investigation to a conclusion.
He vowed that they are going to depart no stone unturned and that they are going to be certain that all these concerned face the total weight of the legislation, averring, “We are also working closely with our international counterparts to ensure we gather sufficient information leading towards extended links surrounding the criminal conspiracy.”
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