River Gee: LDEA Launches Major Demolition on Illegal Structures and Drug Ghettos in Fish-Town

By: Ben T.C. Brooks I River Gee County Contributing Reporter

Fish Town, River Gee County | Oct. 28, 2025 | The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency – LDEA, River Gee detachment has launched a major demolition campaign targeting illegal structures and suspected drug ghettos across Fish-Town.

The operation, which began early Tuesday morning, October 28, 2025 marks a great step in the government’s renewed drive to combat illicit drug activity and restore public safety across the county.

Early Tuesday morning, the LDEA officers were backed by local residents to descend on the no several high-risk neighborhoods notorious for harboring suspected drug users and dealers.

The makeshift ghettos were swiftly dismantled as part of an ongoing national effort to disrupt trafficking networks and reclaim public spaces from criminal elements.

Speaking to Rural Reporters News Network following the operation, Special Agent Bill M Cooper Jr., the newly appointed LDEA County Commander of River Gee described the exercise as part of the government’s “Zero Tolerance on Drugs” initiative.

“These ghettos have become breeding grounds for crime, drug addiction, and social decay,” Agent Jallah stated. “Our mission goes beyond enforcement we are here to protect our young people, to reclaim our neighborhoods, and to send a clear message that drug-related crime will not be tolerated in River Gee or anywhere else in Liberia.”

He added that the demolition exercise was conducted with prior consultation from local stakeholders to minimize confrontation and ensure community cooperation.

However, the operation has stirred mixed reactions among Fish Town residents as many community members commended the LDEA for taking bold steps to curb drug-related activities, others expressed concern over the lack of rehabilitation and reintegration programs for young people displaced by the crackdown.

“I support what the LDEA is doing, but we also need help for the boys who were staying in those places,” said Hillary T. Toe, a local resident of central Fish-Town. “If nothing is done to rehabilitate them, they might just move somewhere else and start again.”

Community elders and youth leaders have echoed similar sentiments, urging the government and its partners to complement enforcement actions with social support initiatives such as counseling, vocational training, and job creation.

Local authorities have meanwhile encouraged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspected drug hideouts to law enforcement.

The LDEA has assured the public that the Fish Town operation is just the beginning of a countywide and nationwide campaign aimed at dismantling the infrastructure of the illegal drug trade.

Similar operations are expected to take place in other parts of River Gee in the coming weeks.

The crackdown represents a new phase in the national struggle against Liberia’s growing drug problem, which has alarmed parents, educators, and health professionals alike.

In recent years, communities across the country have reported rising cases of youth addiction, petty crime, and school dropouts linked to the abuse of narcotics such as “kush” and other synthetic substances.

As River Gee’s capital takes center stage in the anti-drug fight, authorities hope the latest operation will serve as both deterrence and a wake-up call reminding all Liberians that the path to a safer and drug-free society requires collective effort, vigilance, and compassion.