Monrovia — Three of the suspects involved in the shipment of the US$100 million worth of cocaine to Liberia have been taken to the Monrovia City Prison after the court compelled the Liberian government to produce their living bodies.
Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djibril Djalo and Oliver Allen Zayzay were arrested by the government of Sierra Leone and turned over to the Liberian government on October 6 but have since been in the holding cell of the National Security Agency for 23 days undergoing investigation.
Their lawyers sought habeas corpus arguing that they had been held beyond the statutory 48 hours. But the government, on the other hand, contended that they were being held in the interest of national security.
The defendants on October 1, 2022, concealed in twenty-eight (28) cartons of pig feet labeled with Alegra foods which was seized at the SONIT Liberia Incorporated compound, Topoe village, Japanese Freeway, Montserrado County.
During background investigation, it was established that on October 1, 2022, a Lebanese man defendant Issam was seen at the Fresh Frozen Food company located Bong Mines Pearl with co-defendant Conte negotiating for the purchase of the container marked MNBU4070592 on behalf of co-defendants Conte and Adulai.
It was established that defendant Issam escaped upon the arrest of co-defendants Conte and subsequently fled to neighboring Sierra Leone along with co-defendants Oliver and Adulai based on their involvement into the drug syndicate.
The defendants have been charged with unlicensed importation of controlled drugs, money laundering, drugs trafficking, criminal Conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
They are now detained at the Monrovia Central Prison.