By Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – The Ministry of Justice has escalated its crackdown on an alleged international cocaine trafficking network by forwarding Philip Yeoh Jr. to court after charging him with multiple criminal offenses linked to one of the country’s most high-profile drug investigations.
On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, a Special Investigation Team formally charged Yeoh with Criminal Facilitation, Criminal Solicitation, Criminal Conspiracy, and Concealing Property Derived from a Drug Offense, alleging that he played a role in facilitating an attempted shipment of cocaine through Roberts International Airport (RIA).
According to the police charge sheet, investigators believe Yeoh assisted co-defendant Paul J. King and other alleged members of the trafficking network after authorities intercepted six boxes of suspected cocaine that had allegedly been disguised as Lappas rice and Maggi cubes for export to London Heathrow Airport.
Investigators allege that the shipment was processed using falsified cargo declarations prepared through Express Handling Services, after King allegedly presented the consignment as ordinary commercial goods. Authorities later determined that the boxes allegedly contained cocaine.
The Ministry of Justice further alleges that after the shipment was intercepted by law enforcement, Yeoh attempted to negotiate the release of the six seized boxes on behalf of King and other alleged conspirators.
Although Yeoh denied being a member of the alleged drug trafficking network, investigators claim that during questioning, conducted in the presence of his legal counsel, Cllr. Ernest J. Dunbar, he admitted attempting to secure the release of the confiscated shipment.
According to the prosecution, the case against Yeoh is supported by witness statements, investigative findings, and a statement allegedly provided by co-defendant Paul J. King.
With the investigation into Yeoh completed, the Ministry of Justice has formally transferred the case to the court for prosecution, marking another significant development in the government’s ongoing efforts to dismantle what investigators describe as an international drug trafficking operation.
The Ministry also indicated that investigations into other alleged members of the network remain active, suggesting that additional arrests and prosecutions could follow as authorities continue to trace the full scope of the alleged criminal enterprise.
Despite the charges, the allegations against Philip Yeoh Jr. have not been proven in court. Under Liberian law, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty through the judicial process.
