202.5 kg Shipment From Malaysia, Declared as "Botanical Powder," Under Testing at Roberts Airport
The arrivals area of the international terminal at Roberts International Airport (file photo, illustrative of the airport, not the shipment described). Photo: Sm105, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A DHL shipment from Malaysia declared as herbal wellness products is undergoing testing by Liberian and U.S. authorities to determine whether it contains narcotics, after customs cleared it for $437.65 in duties.
A 202.5 kilogram shipment that arrived at Roberts International Airport via DHL from Malaysia is undergoing testing to determine whether it contains narcotics, after being declared as "Botanical Powder, Coffee, Candy" and initially cleared by customs. The shipment was split across nine separate DHL "GoGreen Plus" cartons of 22.5 kilograms each, under waybill number 96 5091 8255.
The declared contents included Aceguard, a herbal immune-support powder marketed under the Dynace brand; Triple Root Coffee, described as an arabica blend with ginseng-style extracts; and Rocenta, a botanical drink mix containing lotus and other herbal ingredients. On September 18, the Liberia Revenue Authority assessed and released the shipment after $437.65 in duties were paid in cash.
The consignment has since drawn scrutiny from the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, working alongside Liberian customs officials and U.S. authorities, and the materials are now being tested to determine whether they contain controlled substances beyond what was declared. Officials have not said publicly at what stage the shipment was flagged for suspicion or what specifically triggered the additional testing after it had already cleared customs.
The case adds to a string of recent reports about narcotics trafficking through Liberia's main international airport, feeding into wider concerns about the country's exposure as a transit point for drug shipments. Pending the results of testing, the shipment remains unconfirmed as narcotics, and no arrests or charges have been reported in connection with it. The episode nonetheless underscores a recurring problem for Liberian customs: a shipment can clear declared-goods inspection and duty assessment before anyone takes a closer look at what it actually contains.