Organized theft at MoH

Police investigators in Monrovia say they have “reason” to believe that 146 cartoons of pharmaceutical drugs “were stolen through organized means by some workers (staff) member of the Ministry of Health and NDS,” [the National Drugs Service].

After conducting a criminal investigation over the alleged theft of 146 cartoons of pharmaceutical drugs, authorities have released an initial conclusion, saying, they “are still exerting efforts to identify the criminal syndicate” that perpetrated the crime and to locate the particular warehouse at the National Drugs Service or NDS from which the drugs were stolen.

Investigators emphasized that the NDS authorities did not make report of any theft or burglary, saying they believe that the stealing of the drugs was done through an organized means … since the both entities are responsible to handle “the receiving and distribution” of drugs to the Liberian people.

The probe began here after police took custody of suspect Abdullah Kamara, who had been arrested in Cow Factory on Bushrod Island by Liberia’s Drugs Enforcement Agency or DEA on 1 September over suspicion that he may have been the one conveying the 146 cartoons of drugs in a chartered commercial truck with foreign license plate RC-7596J which was heading to Guinea.

Though suspect Kamara denied ownership of the pharmaceutical drugs, he is still undergoing detail preliminary investigation as probe continues in the case in which he only admitted to investigators that the truck loaded with the drugs was under his control because he had chartered it from the owner.

The police Anti-theft Squad under the Crime Services Division or CSD expressed belief that theft of property was committed, as evidenced by the fruit of the crime or FOC of 146 cartoons of pharmaceutical drugs seized on the commercial truck “that no one could claim ownership of.”

During the investigation, police say the Ministry of Health confirmed through written communication that the cartoons of pharmaceutical drugs belonged to the Government of Liberia and intended for public use at no cost.

Police found that the custodian of the 146 cartoons of drugs – the NDS did not report any theft or burglary, thereby leaving officers with more work into identifying “the criminal syndicate” that perpetrated the crime.

By Winston W. Parley – Edited by Jonathan Browne