With just few weeks into his new portfolio as Officer-In-Charge of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, the agency has reshaped its approach to the anti-drugs war being fought across the country to eradicate the youths-impacted menace.

Speaking in Tubmanburg, Bomi County yesterday, OIC Fitzgerald Biago did not mince words in stating the LDEA’s readiness to deal with its agents or officers who are shady deal with drug traffickers, aiding and abetting them.

“This is a warning to LDEA officers; if you are here and involved into shady deals, you either with us or against,” OIC Biago warned. “We will weed you out. We want credible DEA officers that will go after drugs traffickers or abusers.”

According to him, it is inconceivable and insufferable for LDEA officers to become the abusers, or the ones aiding and abetting traffickers, emphasizing “We will weed you out.”

OIC Biago also urged Liberians to not only focus on LDEA officers, but should equally expose police, Immigration, fire Service and other officers of the national security architecture found aiding and abetting drugs traffickers.

His comments are in line with the recent exposure of an LDEA officer (Payne) who was caught in a leaked video, demanding the release of a drug-abused lady he claimed to be his daughter.

She was arrested in a ghetto along with several other drug peddlers and users, some of whom escaped arrest, while others attacked LDEA officers.

Officer Payne’s attitude also allegedly necessitated the dismissal of three top brass of the LDEA by President Boakai, citing administrative reasons for their sacking.

Biago said the LDEA has in place a very sturdy intelligence network, collaborating with civil society organizations (CSOs), motorcyclists union, citizens, marketers and religious community, adding “We have our hotlines to weed out the bad apples among the good apples in the agency.”

Thanking the civil society grouping in Bomi County for inviting them for a community engagement, he said they intend to use such platform as an integral part in the fight against drugs, to eradicate drugs in western Liberia.

Biago reiterated the commitment of his men in black to eradication of Liberia, noting “We want to build a LDEA that is responsive, credible, disciplined and served with professionalism and integrity.”

He further warned those responsible for trafficking drugs that the LDEA will go after them, using every ounce of their might.

“Let the message be clear, those who are involved into drug trafficking, who benefit from the destruction of lives that we will go after you,” OIC Biago stated.

He also vowed that the LDEA will not relent or spare every means of opportunity in dismantling their network, stressing also “we will dismantle the ghettos.”

Surrounded by LDEA officers garbed in the warrior-like black outfits, he said his deputy for operations, aliased 702, and his men are in readiness in sweeping the whole of Liberia.

The fight against drug other illicit substances has taken upward trend in the recent weeks, in light with the overall objectives of beating back the menace and limiting its dangers on the country.

Million dollars worth of drugs have been confiscated over the years and a good number of Liberians behind bars in relation to their involvement in the trafficking and importation of drug.

Equally so, dozens of young Liberians have lost their lives to drugs which the country is not leaving any stone unturned to eradicate since the Liberian government declared it national health emergency.

However, OIC Biago’s recent tactical approach to the drugs war is seen as sharp breakaway from what was referred to as “armchair posture” that has long characterized the country’s fight against drugs.

Since assuming office, the OIC has emphasized field engagement over desk strategies, spearheading community outreach, intensifying raids on known ghettos, and introducing mandatory drug testing for LDEA officers to ensure integrity within the agency.

According to him, these measures aim to restore public trust and prove that the war against drugs will not be fought on paper, but through visible action.

In recent weeks, OIC Baigo has led direct dialogues with community leaders and residents in hotspots for drug trafficking and abuse. These meetings have encouraged locals to share timely intelligence with security forces intelligence that has already led to several arrests and the dismantling of ghettos.

Observers describe this shift from passive pronouncements to tangible enforcement as a new era for the LDEA. Civil society groups and citizens alike have praised the strategy as “practical and people-centered.”

The OIC maintains that government alone cannot win the battle against drugs. He has therefore called for stronger collaboration between citizens, law enforcement, and international partners to curb the rising tide of drug abuse and its devastating impact on schools, families, and communities across Liberia.