A Kenyan national, Larnard Bonancy Arondo, has been found guilty on all three counts—importation of drugs, criminal conspiracy, and facilitation—after attempting to smuggle heroin valued at USD 388,890 through Roberts International Airport (RIA) in February 2025. The verdict, secured through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Justice prosecution team and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), allows the defendant four days to respond. On February 1, 2025, Arondo was intercepted at RIA after arriving on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET-933 from Thailand.
During a routine security search, officers discovered 8.642 kilograms of heroin in her possession. She was arrested alongside Abel S. Gbedia, a Liberian national who was also implicated in the smuggling attempt. The conviction of Arondo has been welcomed by Liberians nationwide, particularly families affected by the harmful impact of drug trafficking. Legal experts and law enforcement officials have hailed the outcome as a critical step toward curbing the growing drug crisis in Liberia.
This achievement also marks a significant boost for the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), especially following the August 7, 2025, nationwide “Say No to Drugs” campaign and the intensifying public demand for strong governmental action against drug-related crimes. The current Interim Management Team at LDEA, led by DCP Fitzgerald T.M. Biago of the Liberia National Police (LNP) as Officer-in-Charge (OIC), with Mr. Ernest T. Tarpeh, Assistant Director for Special Services at the National Security Agency, serving as Deputy for Administration/Investigation, and ACP Patrick B. Kormazu of the LNP as Deputy for Operations, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. In a joint statement, the LDEA leadership praised the dedication of its officers and staff, noting that the conviction reflects their unwavering mandate to ensure all drug-related offenses, past and present, are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
They reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting Liberians from the detrimental effects of narcotics and to maintaining the integrity of the nation’s borders. The successful prosecution of Arondo underscores Liberia’s resolve to hold traffickers accountable and serves as a strong warning to individuals attempting to exploit the country as a transit point for illegal drugs.
