HARBEL, Margibi County – The ongoing investigation into the recent cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport (RIA) has entered a new phase after a Margibi County court ordered GLS Mengies, the company responsible for cargo operations at the airport, to surrender key records and surveillance footage that could shed light on the movement of the illicit shipment.
By Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com
The action follows a petition filed by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), which is seeking to piece together the chain of events surrounding the discovery of boxes containing substances believed to be cocaine within the airport’s cargo handling system.
According to a Writ of Subpoena Duces Tecum issued by the 13th Judicial Circuit Court for Margibi County, GLS Mengies has been instructed to appear before the court on June 29, 2026, and provide a series of documents and electronic records connected to the ongoing narcotics investigation.
The court order, issued under the authority of Resident Circuit Judge Victoria Worlobah Duncan and signed by Clerk of Court Edward N. Boakai, specifically requires the company to produce shipping waybills, cargo-related documents, and all available CCTV footage linked to activities that occurred on May 22 and between June 5 and June 8, 2026.
Investigators believe the requested materials may prove critical in determining how the suspicious cargo moved through airport facilities before authorities intercepted the shipment. Law enforcement officials are expected to use the records to identify individuals who may have handled the cargo, establish timelines, and verify whether standard cargo processing procedures were followed.
The subpoena represents one of the most significant developments since authorities announced last week the discovery of the cocaine shipment, a case that has generated widespread public concern and renewed scrutiny of Liberia’s cargo security systems.
While authorities have not publicly disclosed the full scope of their findings, the court’s demand for extensive documentation indicates that investigators are examining every stage of the cargo’s journey through Roberts International Airport.
Surveillance footage and cargo manifests are expected to play a central role in helping authorities determine whether the narcotics were introduced into the logistics chain before arriving in Liberia or while passing through airport facilities.
Importantly, the court action does not suggest wrongdoing by GLS Mengies. Rather, investigators are seeking information believed to be relevant to the criminal investigation. Legal observers note that subpoenas of this nature are commonly used to obtain records from institutions that may possess evidence necessary to assist law enforcement agencies.
The spotlight on GLS stems largely from the company’s strategic role within Liberia’s logistics and transportation sector. Through its parent company, GLS Group, the Liberian-owned enterprise has become one of the country’s leading trade infrastructure operators.
Founded in 2012, GLS Group was established to address longstanding deficiencies in Liberia’s logistics network. Instead of limiting its operations to freight forwarding services, the company adopted a long-term infrastructure model that involved investing directly in cargo terminals, bonded warehouses, and other logistics assets critical to international trade.
Today, GLS operates under a 25-year cargo concession agreement at Roberts International Airport, making it one of the principal entities responsible for handling air freight entering and leaving Liberia. The company also manages a 5,000-square-meter bonded inland warehouse facility that supports cargo storage and customs operations.
Its extensive involvement in cargo handling has made the company’s records potentially valuable to investigators attempting to reconstruct the path taken by the seized cocaine shipment. Authorities are expected to review cargo documentation, warehouse records, shipment details, and surveillance footage to determine whether any irregularities occurred during the handling process.
GLS Mengies is managed by brothers Peter King and Paul King. Sources told FrontPage Africa that Paul King was expected to arrive in Monrovia on Wednesday, but did not.
Earlier, the court also granted the LDEA’s request to subpoena the management of Roberts International Airport (RIA).
Like GLS Mengies, the subpoena orders airport authorities to appear before the court on June 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., and produce shipping records, waybills, and other documents linked to the shipment under investigation.
RIA has also been instructed to provide all available CCTV footage relating to the movement and handling of the cargo connected to the suspected cocaine seizure.
According to the court order, the requested footage must cover June 5, 6, 7, and 8, 2026, as well as May 22, 2026—dates investigators consider critical to determining how the boxes containing the suspected narcotics entered and moved through airport facilities.
The latest court order comes amid increasing public calls for transparency in the government’s response to the drug case. Many Liberians have demanded a comprehensive investigation capable of identifying not only those directly linked to the shipment but also any weaknesses within the country’s cargo security framework that may have been exploited by traffickers.
Security experts have long warned that international drug trafficking organizations often rely on complex logistics networks to move narcotics across borders, making transportation hubs and cargo facilities critical points of investigation whenever major seizures occur.
As a result, the records sought from GLS Mengies could become a key piece of evidence in helping authorities understand how the shipment entered the airport’s cargo stream and whether additional suspects may have been involved.
With the June 29 court appearance now set, attention is expected to focus on the evidence produced and what it may reveal about one of the most consequential narcotics investigations currently underway in Liberia.
