By: Staff Writer
Monrovia -the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice has finally indicted a notorious Nigerian drug dealer identified as George Ikpehehukwu (original Japan).
Montserrado County Attorney Cllr. Swahilo Sesay told journalists Wednesday, May 29, 2024, that his office has completed the indictment and the case has transferred to Criminal Court “C” of Judge J. Kennedy Peabody, which is responsible for prosecuting drug-related cases.
Cllr. Sesay said Original Japan will be served his indictment and stand trial before the end of this month at the Temple of Justice.
Early this year, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency Boss Col. Abraham Kromah had this to say about the arrest of Original Japan: “We will not cease in this fight against drugs because this situation is affecting several people, especially our youth.”
“You see people of Sayon Town were living in fear of the criminal rate because the drug users after taking the drugs will hijack innocent people and take away their property. This is a war we must fight together,” Col. Kromah said.
“This is our first operation and we will continue even more with strengthening our team of agents across the country and I’m going to ensure those who are arrested today are fully prosecuted by the law of this country,” he added.
Residents of Sayon Town commanded the LDEA for the smooth operation which they said will provide relief to their community.
He said the smooth-strike action was part of the LDEA’s mission to buttress government efforts to fight against illicit drug abuse in the country and hunt down traffickers.
According to Col. Kromah, the alleged drug cartel is being investigated by the Liberia National Police (LNP).
According to him, the suspects were found with a huge percentage of cocaine, heroin, and tramadol, among other narcotic substances worth around five million Liberian dollars.
Meanwhile, the LDEA Boss pleaded with the Government of Liberia to increase budgetary support to the LDEA to boost the agency’s operations. The Nigerian suspects facing investigation are George Ikpehehukwu, alias Original Japan who is alleged to be an Auto-parts dealer, and Mr. Sunday Odeh.
LDEA Director Col. Abraham Kromah said the alleged drug dealers, including notorious drug dealer George Ikpehehukwu, alias “Original Japan” were tracked down by agents of the LDEA after a tip-off received from an unnamed whistleblower.
Col. Kromah said the suspects were arrested in smooth strike-actions to clamp down on the increase of narcotic substances.
Liberians saw the arrest as a significant breakthrough in the nation’s fight against illicit drugs in the wake of a growing population of young people who are going wayward due to drug abuse.
At the same time, the alleged perpetrators behind the drug activities in Sayon Town, suspect George Ikpehehukwu, said he was innocent of the alleged drug cartel.
He noted that he knows nothing about the illicit drug trade in the community.
