Sierra Leonean Arrested in Liberia With Over 1,500 Suspected Tramadol Tablets
A 41-year-old Sierra Leonean national has been arrested by officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) after more than 1,500 suspected Tapentadol and Tramadol tablets were allegedly discovered at the Bo-Waterside border crossing.
The suspect, identified as Philip Lumeh of Jendema Town in Pujehun District, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday at Gate Two of the Bo-Waterside Port of Entry during a routine inspection.
According to Liberian authorities, LDEA officers searched Lumeh’s green travelling bag and found 157 strips containing suspected opioid tablets concealed among his personal belongings.
The seized tablets are estimated to have a street value of nearly 400,000 Liberian dollars, equivalent to more than US$2,000.
Lumeh remains in the custody of the LDEA in Bo-Waterside as investigations continue, with formal court proceedings expected to follow.
Reports indicate that the suspect admitted transporting the tablets into Liberia and appealed for leniency. Security officials also alleged that he had previously been involved in similar cross-border activities and operates three pharmaceutical outlets in Jendema and Sulaiman.
Investigators said the suspect passed through three security checkpoints before being intercepted at a fourth checkpoint.
The arrest comes amid growing concerns over the movement of suspected opioids along the Bo-Waterside corridor. In March 2026, Liberian authorities reported a similar case involving a Guinean national who was arrested with suspected Tapentadol, while more than US$1 million in cash was reportedly discovered in his vehicle.
Tapentadol is a synthetic opioid that is stronger than Tramadol and has increasingly featured in drug trafficking cases across West Africa.
Authorities stressed that laboratory testing and regulatory checks are still required to determine the exact nature and legal classification of the seized tablets. The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority is expected to assist in the analysis.
The latest arrest follows another case in February 2026, when a Guinean national was reportedly arrested with 519 packs of suspected Tapentadol and Tramadol valued at more than US$72,000.
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