BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa- The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency in Grand Bassa has arrested and sent to court a 46 years old man for illegal possession of narcotic substances.

Stephen Reeves was arrested at Kilometer 13 between Bong and Grand Bassa counties on November 16 by a joint team of LDEA officers assigned in Grand Bassa and the detail assigned at the Buchanan seaport.

Reeves was arrested along with 470 kilograms of marijuana valued at more than L$3.5 million or US$22,596. He was forwarded to Buchanan Magisterial court on Monday. He was subsequently placed into the upper Buchanan prison cells while awaiting prosecution.

The commander of the agency’s detachment in Grand Bassa, Gloria Wah disclosed to the Bush Chicken that the suspect was arrested after officers received a tip-off.

Wah said the LDEA detachment in Grand Bassa will continue to work harder to track down drug dealers and users in the county.

The suspect told the Bush Chicken in Buchanan that he was not the original owner of the consignment of the narcotic substance.

“I was on my farm and my son called me that one of my friends, Victor brought some bags at my house and wanted to keep there. When I started asking him about what was in the bags, the phone went off and the next day, I heard that my son was arrested, and they wanted to see me. Immediately I got on the scene, I was arrested, but I don’t know anything about this,” he said.

“I am a farmer and coal burner, look at my palm.”

He also denied knowing the whereabouts of his friend who allegedly left the substance with him for safekeeping and wants the government to set him free.

According to him, at no time has he ever been involved with drug deals, knowing that doing so is prohibited under the laws.

“If I was a drug dealer, I will not be burning coal and making farm. So, I am calling on the government to release me, so I can go back to my farm,” he emphasized.

Recently, the LDEA in Grand Bassa also arrested and forwarded to the Buchanan Magisterial court a businessman for being in possession 414 grams of cocaine worth US$16,544 an additional 58.8 grams of heroin also worth US$ 2,058.

Featured photo by Sampson David.