The suspects, according to our highly placed and unimpeachable sources, are currently being held at the Grand Gedeh maximum prison in Zwedru.
“We are investigating them to know who is doing the recruitment and for what. Some of the suspects are Liberians and others are Ivoirians. “Right now, it is an allegation that the people are being recruited to fight in Ivory Coast. We are carefully investigating to know whether or not these allegations are true, so that we may take appropriate action,” the highly placed security sources further told the Daily Observer yesterday.
According to our sources, there is no rebel training taking place in Grand Gedeh County, but there are reports that people are being secretly recruited there” for mercenary activities.
Early this week, Joint Security Forces in Grand Gedeh County discovered what they described as a “dissidents den training base” in Grand Gedeh’s Konoba District.
Following the discovery, the Rapid Response Unit (ERU) of the Liberian National Police (LNP) assigned in the county stormed the area and allegedly arrested 75 of the suspect “dissident forces.”
Five of the suspects who escaped remained at-large up to press time.
Quoting the ring leader of the alleged “dissidents,” security sources said, they were arrested while en route to neighboring Cote d'Ivoire with the sole aim of invading and toppling the government of that West African state.
They were reportedly intercepted and arrested at the Double Bridge crossing point near the Liberian/Ivoirian borders in Konobo District, Grand Gedeh County.
The suspects, according to security sources, will shortly be arraigned before the Magisterial court in the county, where they are expected to be formally charged.
Some of the suspects were named as Brico, 25; Gord, 26; Juldas, 27; Girard, 28; and K-Ouan Terry, 29.
Others are Guei Serge, 30; Guei Oliver, 31; Sanau Noel Assassin, 32; Tia Richard, 33; and Pehi Tehe.
The men are believed to have been recruited from refugee camps in the county. According to our source, majority of them crossed into Liberia during the military hostilities in Ivory Coast.
It is not clear whether the suspects were arrested with arms and ammunition.
When contacted, the office of Grand Gedeh County Attorney, Adolphus Karnua, said he was in Monrovia on “official matters,” but his deputy, Joseph Payne, confirmed the arrest of the men.
He told the Daily Observer that there had been constant security reports, prior to the arrest of the men, that some people were planning subversive activities at the Double Bridge by-pass borderline, and also in the Glio Tenpo, Toe Town and Garlay Town borders region. He did not elaborate further.
Grand Gedeh has over 12 unofficial points of entry or footpath entry points among which are Bategin (an hour walk away from Cote d’Ivoire), Boe, Vleyee Town, Duogee Town, Tien Town (6 hours’ walk away from the Cavalla River separating Cote d’Ivoire from Liberia), Touzon.
