Monrovia – The Liberian Senate has ordered an investigation into the operations of GLS-Menzies and is considering recommending the suspension of the company’s cargo-handling concession at Roberts International Airport (RIA) following its alleged connection to the seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately US$19.2 million.
By Obediah Johnson, obediah.johnson@frontpageafricaonline.com
The Senate’s action follows a formal communication submitted by Montserrado County Senators Abraham Darius Dillon and Saah Harding Joseph, who argued that the company should be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the ongoing drug investigation.
GLS-Menzies signed a 25-year concession agreement with the Government of Liberia in 2017 to provide cargo handling, freight forwarding, warehousing and aviation logistics services at the country’s main international airport. The company operates in partnership with international firms, including Menzies Aviation and InfraCo Africa.
On June 8, 2026, officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and other security agencies intercepted approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine concealed in six cargo boxes at Roberts International Airport in Margibi County. Authorities said the drugs, consisting of 198 compressed packages, were reportedly destined for Europe aboard a Brussels Airlines cargo shipment.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai described the seizure as a serious threat to national security and ordered a full-scale investigation to identify all individuals involved, including financiers, facilitators and possible international collaborators.
The investigation is being conducted by a joint security task force comprising the LDEA, Liberia National Police, Ministry of Justice, National Security Agency and other security institutions. Investigators have identified at least 10 persons of interest.
Among those named are Paul J. King, founder and Chief Executive Officer of GLS Cargo Handling, and Philip Yeoh, the company’s security manager.
In their communication to the Senate Plenary on Tuesday, Senators Dillon and Joseph argued that a company entrusted with safeguarding Liberia’s cargo channels cannot continue operations while senior management officials remain under investigation.
“We write jointly to recommend that the Senate formally advise the Executive to suspend, pending investigation, the cargo-handling concession held by GLS (GLS Menzies) at Roberts International Airport,” the senators wrote.
They added that the temporary suspension would help preserve the integrity of evidence, protect Liberia’s reputation as an aviation and trade partner, and reassure the public that no institution is above the law.
The lawmakers emphasized that the proposed suspension should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt but rather as a precautionary measure until the investigation is concluded.
Following deliberations, Senate Plenary mandated its Joint Committee on Judiciary, Claims and Petitions and the Committee on Security, National Defense, Intelligence and Veterans Affairs to investigate the matter.
GLS and EHS Africa Logistics Under Investigation
GLS has emerged as a central focus of the ongoing investigation.
It is alleged that the six boxes containing the cocaine were collected from the residence of GLS CEO Paul King on Old Road in Sinkor before being transported to the airport.
Archie Nyanfor, one of the designated persons of interest, told investigators that he and Emmanuel Zeon were instructed by their employer, Arthur B. Abdullai, CEO of EHS Africa Logistics, to retrieve the cargo from King’s residence for shipment.
“On Friday, June 5, 2026, my boss Arthur B. Abdullai instructed Emmanuel Zeon and me to take six boxes of cargo from Paul King’s house to be shipped,” Nyanfor said.
According to his statement, Zeon later transported the cargo to the GLS warehouse at Roberts International Airport, where discrepancies in the shipment’s recorded weight reportedly prompted further inspection by airport security officers.
Nyanfor said he was later informed that drugs had been discovered inside the cargo.
“I informed my boss, Arthur Abdullai, and he said, ‘Let them call Paul King because he is the shipper.’ We did not know what was in the cargo when he sent us,” he said.
The statement has become a key component of the criminal investigation.
However, Arthur Abdullai has denied knowledge of the contents of the shipment.
In audio recordings that surfaced from investigators’ interviews, Abdullai claimed that Paul King informed him the boxes contained “lappa and Maggie cube.”
“As I am saying, I showed you the airway bill. The shipper told us what was in the shipment. He told me it was lappa and Maggie cube. All I had to do was execute the airway bill,” Abdullai reportedly said.
He further stated that his company routinely transports shipments for GLS and that he lacked the means to inspect the contents of cargo provided by clients.
“The shipment was collected from Paul King’s house. They told us that it was lappa and Maggie cube in those boxes,” he said.
The testimonies have intensified public scrutiny surrounding the origins of the shipment, its ownership and the identities of those behind the attempted export of the cocaine.
Questions have also emerged regarding the use of the name “Emre Venn Group of Companies” on the shipment documentation, with investigators saying that the company may not exist.
Peter King Suspended from NOCAL Board
Meanwhile, President Boakai has suspended Peter Malcolm King, brother of Paul King, from his position as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL).
According to an Executive Mansion statement issued Monday, the suspension followed a briefing from the Ministry of Justice and the Joint Investigative Task Force, which identified entities associated with the King family as requiring further investigative scrutiny.
The Executive Mansion said the suspension is an administrative measure intended to preserve public confidence, protect the integrity of the investigation, and prevent any appearance of interference.
The statement emphasized that the action does not constitute a finding of guilt and should not be interpreted as prejudging the outcome of the investigation.
“The suspension is intended solely to ensure that the investigative process proceeds independently, transparently and without undue influence,” the Mansion said.
