By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Ruth Gbapawhea, a 50-year-old airport screener at Roberts International Airport (RIA) and a person of interest in the ongoing US$19 million drug trafficking investigation, on Monday, June 22, 2026, provided a statement to investigators as authorities deepen their probe into one of Liberia’s largest narcotics cases.
Gbapaywhea, one of 10 persons of interest named by the Ministry of Justice on Friday, June 20, 2026, is among airport screening personnel under investigation in connection with the seizure of a massive drug consignment at Roberts International Airport, a case that has raised concerns over possible internal involvement at Liberia’s main international gateway.
According to details from her interaction with investigators, Gbapawhea described her role in cargo screening procedures at the airport, explaining how shipments are processed, inspected, and cleared through monitoring systems. However, portions of her statement appeared disjointed and raised further questions for investigators as they attempt to reconstruct the chain of events surrounding the suspicious cargo.
In her account, she referenced routine cargo inspection activities and described how different shipments pass through screening equipment, noting that officers typically verify airway bills and inspect packages before clearance.
“We check the cargo, we screen everything, and then we verify the airway bill before anything is cleared,” she explained during questioning, according to extracts of her statement.
She further described identifying irregularities during a routine screening process, suggesting that a particular shipment appeared unusual compared to others processed on different days.
“At first, everything looked normal, but later we noticed something different about the cargo when it went through the machine,” she stated, adding that further inspection was carried out after suspicions were raised.
Gbapawhea also told investigators that multiple shipments had passed through the system over different days, referencing discrepancies between cargo processed on Friday and Sunday, a detail authorities are expected to closely examine as part of efforts to determine whether there was manipulation or substitution of shipments.
The RIA screener’s statement comes amid heightened national attention on the US$19 million drug bust, which security officials believe may involve a coordinated network potentially spanning airport personnel, logistics handlers, and external facilitators.
While Gbapawhea has not been charged, her designation as a person of interest underscores the widening scope of the investigation as authorities seek to determine whether internal actors may have played a role in facilitating or failing to detect the movement of illicit substances.
Social media discussions, particularly on Facebook, have raised concerns that the case exposes persistent vulnerabilities in cargo screening systems, while also prompting questions about oversight, accountability, and potential corruption risks within airport operations.
The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and joint security task forces are continuing their investigation, with officials indicating that additional statements and forensic reviews are underway to establish how the suspected drug shipment bypassed multiple layers of security.
The LDEA has urged the public to avoid speculation as investigations continue, emphasizing that all individuals remain presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
However, the case has already intensified public concern over the integrity of Liberia’s aviation security systems, particularly at Roberts International Airport, which serves as the country’s primary international entry and exit point.
As investigators piece together testimonies, cargo records, and surveillance data, Gbapawhea’s statement is expected to form part of a broader evidentiary chain aimed at identifying possible lapses or intentional manipulation within the cargo screening process.
The US$19 million drug bust remains under active investigation, with the LDEA signaling that further developments and possible arrests may follow as the probe expands.
