LIBERIAN AUTHORITIES DETAIN 3 INCLUDING DISMISSED RIA WORKER AFTER SUSPICIOUS VESSEL I.B. ATLANTIC FLEES COAST GUARD OFF ROBERTSPORT AMID DRUG TRAFFICKING FEARS
BY: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr.
MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberian authorities have detained three individuals, including a dismissed employee of the Roberts International Airport (RIA), as part of an expanding investigation into the vessel I.B. Atlantic, which is accused of illegally entering the country’s territorial waters under suspicious circumstances.
The arrests come amid heightened national concern over maritime security following Liberia’s record narcotics seizures in recent weeks.
According to the Liberia Coast Guard and the Liberia Maritime Authority, the I.B. Atlantic was first sighted off the coast of Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County, on August 1, 2026.
Officials said the vessel had arrived from Sierra Leone after its registered Liberian agent filed a distress call citing engine failure and a shortage of food and supplies.
“The agent claimed the vessel was in distress and needed emergency assistance,” a senior security source told this paper.
“But the manner in which the vessel behaved once authorities responded raised immediate red flags.”
When the Liberia Coast Guard moved to make contact with the I.B. Atlantic, authorities said the vessel abruptly retreated into deeper waters instead of requesting aid.
The ship maneuvered beyond the operational range of available patrol boats, prompting security officials to suspect it was avoiding inspection.
The incident has triggered fears that Liberia’s coastline is being used as a transit point for illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking.
As part of the probe, security agencies have arrested three Liberian nationals.
Among those in custody is the recently dismissed employee of Roberts International Airport, raising questions about possible insider connections to the vessel’s operations and its agent in Monrovia.
The other two suspects have not been publicly identified.
All three are currently being questioned by the Joint Security Task Force and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Authorities have not said whether the arrests are directly linked to narcotics, but noted the timing coincides with intensified operations against transnational crime.
With the I.B. Atlantic now unaccounted for in Liberian waters, the government said it is seeking international assistance to locate and investigate the vessel.
Requests for tracking support have been sent to regional maritime partners and international naval assets operating in the Gulf of Guinea.
The incident adds to growing pressure on Liberia’s security apparatus following the $300+ million Duazon cocaine bust and the $19.2 million seizure at RIA last month.
Security analysts warn that Liberia’s porous coastline and limited naval capacity make it vulnerable to exploitation by organized crime networks.