Published: January 15, 2025
MONROVIA – The Liberia National Police (LNP) Anti-Robbery Unit has arrested several individuals in the St. Paul Bridge community for allegedly defrauding a woman of over US$3,000 under the pretense of facilitating a travel opportunity.
The raid, conducted in the Tweh Farm community behind St. Mary’s Parish, occurred unannounced around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15. According to witnesses, the operation caught the community off guard and sparked concern among residents about the prevalence of such scams in their area.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that some of the suspects wore coordinated sky-blue long-sleeve shirts and navy-blue trousers, identifying them as part of a unified group, while others were described as recent recruits to the scheme.
Victim Speaks Out
The victim, a woman in her late 20s who requested anonymity due to trauma, reported the incident to authorities. She alleged that the suspects duped her out of US$3,000 by promising to arrange travel to a developed country.
“They tell people they can help them travel abroad, but the individuals often end up in unexpected countries where men are subjected to forced labor and women to prostitution,” one LNP officer explained during the operation.
Another officer added, “This young woman is one of their victims. She realized it was a scam after paying the money and decided to report them. We’re taking the suspects to LNP headquarters for further investigation.”
Evidence Seized
During the raid, police confiscated a variety of items believed to be linked to the scam, including passport-sized photos of potential victims, desktop computers, fans, files, and other materials. The suspects were taken in a police vehicle, and community residents watched as evidence was loaded alongside them.
One resident noted that some of those not in uniform were new recruits tasked with convincing others to join. Others, reportedly duped of their own money, were coerced into becoming part of the operation due to the inability to recover their funds.
History of Arrests and Releases
The building housing the suspects is reportedly used exclusively by alleged Q-NET operators and has no permanent residents, according to eyewitnesses. Residents also claimed this was not the first time the group had been apprehended, alleging that the suspects had previously been arrested by various security forces, including the Armed Forces of Liberia, only to return to the same location after being inexplicably released.
Discussion about this post