Monrovia – Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation after 40 cartons of the banned opioid Tramadol have been seized aboard a gas truck belonging to KAILONND Petroleum, an organization owned by lawyer and businessman Cllr. George B. Kailondo.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
The truck, intercepted on the Tianii checkpoint in Grand Cape Mount County, has renewed scrutiny on how Liberia’s business and petroleum transport networks could also be co-opted for drug trafficking.
The seizure follows intensified Liberia Drug Enforcement Company (LDEA) operations concentrating on trafficking routes and main distributors. Investigators now need to know whether or not company automobiles—resembling Kailondo’s fleet—are being systematically used to move medication, with or with out firm approval.
Kailondo’s Protection Raises Questions
Cllr. Kailondo has strongly distanced himself from the incident, insisting that his vans have been “purported to be parked” and that he had dismissed all drivers two months in the past.
“To one of the best of my data, my vans are parked. Cassie, a distributor, allowed somebody to make use of the truck. I used to be not conscious… They advised me the truck was going to Bomi. It ended up in Grand Cape Mount. The driving force lied. Cassie lied. However I didn’t know something about Tramadol,” Kailondo advised reporters.
He admitted, nevertheless, that his automobiles have typically been utilized by third-party distributors, together with “Cassie,” who’s now in police custody. Critics argue this unfastened association leaves the enterprise susceptible to exploitation by traffickers.
“How a gas truck from a serious firm finally ends up carrying 40 cartons of Tramadol, undetected by the proprietor, is not only a thriller. It’s a legal responsibility,” stated one LDEA official conversant in the case.
Drug Ring or Company Negligence?
Based on investigators the truck was registered to KAILONND Petroleum, making the corporate legally accountable, the journey had no official firm dispatch documentation and Kailondo acknowledged having no GPS or monitoring system for his multi-county fleet.
Police sources say they aren’t ruling out deliberate complicity by insiders or a wider legal community utilizing petroleum logistics as cowl.
Sample of Oversight Lapses?
This isn’t the primary time Kailondo’s automobiles have been linked to questionable actions. He himself recounted an earlier incident involving a Ghanaian worker caught in a police chase with one in all his automobiles.
“I’ve too many vehicles. I can’t observe all of them,” he stated, describing difficulties in managing a big fleet.
Civil society teams argue such excuses are unacceptable given Liberia’s worsening drug disaster.
“When you run a petroleum enterprise in 2025 and might’t account for the motion of your vans, you’re a part of the issue,” stated one anti-narcotics advocate.
LDEA: “We Will Examine Each Hyperlink”
The LDEA confirmed that the driver, solely recognized as Cassie, and one other suspect are underneath arrest and interrogation. The company is probing whether or not Kailondo knowingly allowed his vans to be rented out with out oversight.
“We don’t care who owns the truck. If it’s used to site visitors medication, we are going to examine,” an LDEA spokesperson stated.
Nationwide Crackdown on Tramadol and Shisha
This case comes as Liberia battles a nationwide drug epidemic. On August 22, 2025, Well being Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto introduced a moratorium banning the sale and distribution of Tramadol and Shisha.
Tramadol use is now restricted to licensed hospitals underneath medical supervision, whereas shisha (hookah) is banned in all private and non-private areas, together with properties.
“Liberia is within the grip of a harmful drug epidemic,” Minister Kpoto warned.
“This moratorium is a decisive step to avoid wasting lives, defend our youth, and safeguard nationwide stability.”
Well being officers observe that Tramadol abuse has fueled dependancy, violence, and crime, whereas Shisha smoking—extensively glamorized in nightlife—poses extreme dangers of most cancers, coronary heart illness, and lifelong dependancy.
What’s Subsequent for Kailondo?
Whereas Kailondo has not but been named a suspect, authorized specialists say he may face civil or legal legal responsibility if investigators show negligence or “willful blindness.”
“Intent will not be at all times required,” one former prosecutor defined.
“If he knowingly allowed vans to function with out oversight or contracts, he could possibly be liable—particularly since this isn’t the primary crimson flag.”
Because the investigation continues, the case may decide not solely Kailondo’s authorized publicity but in addition the broader accountability of Liberia’s company transport sector within the struggle towards narcotics.
