By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S
BO-WATERSIDE — Liberian anti-drug officers have arrested a 41-year-old Sierra Leonean after intercepting over 1,500 tablets of suspected Tapentadol at the Bo-Waterside border.
The suspect, Philip Lumeh of Jendema Town, Pujehun District, was apprehended on Tuesday afternoon at Gate-2 of the Bo-Waterside Port of Entry during a routine search.
Officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) searched his green travelling bag and discovered 157 strips of Tapentadol and Tramadol concealed among personal effects.
The arrest has again highlighted the Bo-Waterside corridor as a notorious route for opioid trafficking from Sierra Leone into Liberia.
In March 2026, the LDEA arrested a Guinean national at the same border with Tapentadol and reportedly discovered US$1.18 million cash in his vehicle. In February 2026, another Guinean was arrested with 519 packs of Tapentadol/Tramadol valued at over US$72,000, though the case was marred by conflicting reports over US$150,000 in allegedly seized cash.
Tapentadol, a synthetic opioid stronger than Tramadol, is increasingly replacing Tramadol in West African trafficking networks following regulatory bans. Sierra Leone emerged as a top regional importer, with shipments worth about $40 million entering West Africa in November 2025 alone, mainly from India.
The latest arrest comes as major changes are underway at Bo-Waterside. ECOWAS has begun demolishing the old customs and border post to build a modern terminal expected to take two years. The new facility will house immigration, customs, health, drug control and trade agencies.
Following the demolition, border operations have shifted temporarily to the former MTA bus stop area — a site where the Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) launched its Region Three operations in August 2022.
Officials said laboratory testing and regulatory confirmation are required to determine the precise classification of the seized tablets. The LMHRA is expected to play a key role in establishing their regulatory status.
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