Monrovia City Court Magistrate, Ben Barco, has ordered the detention of a young woman, Janet Swaray, on charges of attempting to smuggle narcotics valued at over L$90,000 into the Monrovia Central Prison.
S
waray was caught with the drug on Wednesday, August 23 at the prison’s entrance.
She is facing charges alongside her accomplice, TheophilusTarr, who is already in detention at the prison.
They are accused of unlicensed possession and sale of narcotics, distribution of controlled substances, and criminal conspiracy.
Ms. Swaray, a prospective high school graduate, was apprehended while allegedly trying to bring a white parcel containing narcotics into the prison for Tarr, who is detained on armed robbery allegations.
She revealed that Tarr instructed her to purchase items for him and collect something from an unidentified person on Lynch Street to bring to the prison.
Ms. Swaray claimed she didn’t know the parcel’s content but followed Tarr’s instructions to conceal it in her bra.
During an inspection, prison officers found the wrapped tissue paper in Swaray’s bra, leading to her arrest under section 14.107 of Liberia’s penal code.
Liberia recently enacted stringent drug laws, making possession and smuggling of narcotics a non-bailable offense with a minimum ten-year imprisonment. The legislation aims to combat drug use among youths, a problem that has posed security threats and fueled criminal activities.
Statistics show Liberia’s high drug use rates, particularly among disadvantaged youth who often resort to crime.
Experts believe the new law will curb drug-related crimes and protect young individuals from the destructive effects of narcotics.
While Monrovia Central Prison was established for corrections, it has unfortunately become a channel for drug smuggling. Sheis the first individual arrested under the new drug law, testing its implementation.
Currently, Ms. Swaray is held at the Monrovia Central Prison awaiting trial.
