MONROVIA, Liberia — The Liberian Government has arrested three persons, including dismissed Roberts International Airport (RIA) Deputy Director for Operations Egon Kuiah, as authorities investigate the suspicious entry and subsequent departure of the vessel IB Atlantic IV from Liberian waters.
The development was disclosed by Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, August 5, 2026.
Minister Piah said the three individuals are currently in security custody and are undergoing investigation in connection with the vessel. The government is also seeking international assistance to locate and further investigate the IB Atlantic IV, which authorities believe entered Liberia’s maritime space under circumstances that have raised serious security concerns.
The vessel was reportedly spotted off the coast of Robertspot, Grand Cape Mount County, on August 1, after its registered Liberian agent contacted authorities with a distress call. The agent reportedly claimed that the vessel was experiencing engine failure and a shortage of food.
However, the circumstances changed when Liberian Coast Guard personnel attempted to reach the vessel.
According to authorities, rather than remaining in the area while assistance was being arranged, the IB Atlantic IV slowly moved away from the Liberian coast and headed toward deeper waters. The vessel eventually moved beyond the operational reach of Liberia’s current Coast Guard boats, heightening suspicions surrounding its presence and movements.
Egon Kuiah Among Those Arrested
Kuiah, the dismissed former Deputy Director for Operations at RIA, is among the three people arrested in connection with the investigation.
He had previously been identified as the registered Liberian agent for IB Atlantic IV, a Comoros-flagged vessel bearing IMO No. 8502133.
Kuiah reportedly signed correspondence on behalf of the vessel’s owners and master in his capacity as Registered Agent for Madris & Companies Inc. In the correspondence, he notified authorities that the vessel was allegedly in distress at sea, citing engine problems and a shortage of food.
His arrest comes as authorities continue investigating his alleged connection to the vessel and its activities in Liberian waters.
Kuiah has also been publicly linked by Liberian authorities to the ongoing investigation into the alleged US$317 million drug trafficking case. However, the government has not announced criminal charges against him in relation to the IB Atlantic IV investigation, and the circumstances surrounding his arrest remain subject to investigation.
Vessel Raises New Security Concerns
The investigation into IB Atlantic IV comes at a sensitive time for Liberia, as authorities continue efforts to dismantle alleged international drug-trafficking networks and investigate claims that the country has been used as a transit point for cocaine trafficking.
The government has not publicly established that IB Atlantic IV was carrying narcotics, nor has it confirmed that the vessel is directly connected to the US$317 million drug case.
Authorities are instead focused on determining why the vessel entered Liberia’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, whether it had the required authorization to operate within Liberian maritime space, and why it retreated into the deep sea after reportedly requesting assistance.
The government is now seeking cooperation from international and regional security partners to help locate and investigate the vessel.
The arrest of Kuiah and the two other individuals represents a significant development in the inquiry, but authorities have yet to disclose the identities of the other two suspects or announce specific charges against any of the three.
The investigation remains ongoing.
