Liberia charge former vice president of drug-trafficking, money laundering and oda offences

Liberia don charge former vice president Jewel Howard-Taylor wit drug trafficking, money laundering and a range of oda offences as part of investigation into alleged transnational narcotics network.

Dem detain am bifor she board one flight for Roberts International Airport for di capital, Monrovia, di kontri justice ministry confam.

Police chief Gregory Coleman don link her to di seizure last month of cocaine valued at $317m (£233m).

Di 63-year-old politician neva make any public comment about di allegations. Her lawyer tell di BBC say e no fit comment until dem formally charge Howard-Taylor to court.

Howard-Taylor bin enta politics afta her now ex-husband, former president Charles Taylor, leave power. E be former rebel leader wey dem elect as Liberia president for 1997, and remain for office until 2003.

Dem later gbab Charles Taylor and UN-back court convict am say e aid and abet rebels for neighbouring Sierra Leone during di 1991-2002 civil war, wia 50,000 pipo kpai.

Several years later, George Weah pick Howard-Taylor as im running mate and she serve as im deputy during im presidency from 2018 until 2024.

Howard-Tayor dey face charges including di unlicensed importation, sale and transportation of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation.

Police don charge three foreign nationals - two Croatians and one Ukrainian - in absentia as part of dia investigation. Dem accuse dem say dem be part of di same network as di former politician.

Liberian Justice Minister Oswald Tweh say di authorities go use domestic and international measures to locate and arrest dem.

Liberia don step up a crackdown on cocaine trafficking, following two major seizures for June and July.

Dem find almost four tonnes of cocaine wey dem believe say dey go Europe during di raid for July.

Di authorities describe am as Liberia biggest drug bust and say dem don uncova ogbonge transnational trafficking network.

Di investigation don extend to senior figures within Liberia security establishment.

Di govment say dia investigations aim to identify not only dose wey dey directly involved in transporting drugs, but also financiers, organisers and pipo wey chop accuse say dem help to protect di operation.

"No office dey too high, no political connection dey too powerful, no nationality provide immunity, and no individual dey beyond di reach of di law," dem tok for statement.

Dem dey use West Africa as major transit route for cocaine trading from South America to Europe, and traffickers dey exploit porous borders and weak enforcement for parts of di region.