The Global Logistic service (GLS)-Menzies has confirmed that its cargo handling and weight verification procedures detected a discrepancy in a shipment presented for acceptance, prompting the company to immediately halt the shipment and notify the relevant authorities in line with its established operational procedures.
In a statement released by the company, GLS-Menzies said the action was taken as part of its commitment to maintaining strict cargo handling standards and ensuring compliance with all required safety and security protocols. The company emphasized that its staff acted promptly after identifying the irregularity during the routine verification process.
The company, however, stressed that it would not prejudice or interfere with the ongoing investigation by commenting on the specific facts surrounding the matter. According to the statement, determining the circumstances of the case remains the responsibility of the competent authorities conducting the investigation.
GLS-Menzies reaffirmed its full cooperation with investigators, noting that all relevant information has been, and will continue to be, provided through the appropriate legal channels. The company also reiterated its respect for the integrity of the investigative process and pledged to continue supporting the authorities until the investigation is concluded.
Who We Are and What We Do GLS-Menzies is a joint venture between Global Logistics Services (GLS), an indigenous Liberian logistics company, and Menzies Aviation, the world’s leading cargo and ground handling services provider, operating across 65 countries and more than 300 airports globally. GLS-Menzies holds a 25-year concession awarded in 2017 to develop and manage cargo handling operations at Roberts International Airport (RIA) to internationally recognized standards. Our role at RIA is to provide cargo handling services. Specifically, we operate a state-of-the-art cargo warehouse, manage cargo documentation and logistics and coordinate the build-up and loading of cargo onto aircraft. We hold the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification, the highest global safety standard in our industry, and are certified as a Regulated Agent from a Third Country (RA3) by the European Union and United Kingdom, confirming that our operations meet international security standards.
Where Our Responsibility Begins and Ends It is important for the public and all stakeholders to understand the distinct roles of the different parties involved in the export process at RIA: The shipper or freight forwarder is responsible for declaring the correct contents and weight of any shipment and presenting it to the airline or its agent for documentation. The airline or airline cargo agent is responsible for verifying shipment details, executing the Air Waybill (AWB), and delivering cargo to the airport for further processing. Security inspection, screening, clearance and approval of cargo at RIA is conducted exclusively by the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) Security Department.
The LAA security team uses X-ray equipment and visual inspection to screen and clear cargo before it reaches us. Once security clears a shipment and affixes a security-screened sticker to each package evidencing its approval of the cargo, GLS Menzies is authorized to proceed with the acceptance process. GLS-Menzies accepts cargo only after it has passed the security screening process by the LAA Security Department. Our role at that stage is to weigh the shipment, verify that the actual weight matches the AWB, prepare cargo documentation, and coordinate loading. We do not open or otherwise inspect cargo at any point in this process; this is not part of our mandate or responsibility.
Full Statement:
Our Role in the Matter Under Investigation Without prejudging or interfering with the ongoing investigation, GLS-Menzies can confirm that our cargo handling procedures and weight verification process identified a discrepancy in a shipment presented for acceptance, and our team took immediate action in accordance with established procedures by stopping the shipment and notifying the relevant parties. We will not comment on or speculate about the specific facts, which remain the subject of the ongoing investigation and fall to the competent authorities to determine. We respect the integrity of that process, and all detailed information has been and will continue to be provided directly to the investigating authorities through the appropriate legal channels.
An Isolated Event and the Inherent Risk of Cargo Operations Throughout our years of operation at Roberts International Airport, GLS-Menzies has never previously encountered a matter of this nature. This is an isolated and unprecedented event in our experience, and we are treating it with the utmost seriousness. The international movement of air cargo carries inherent risk. No cargo operation anywhere in the world can entirely eliminate the risk that a third party may attempt to misuse the supply chain. It is precisely because this risk exists that layered controls, independent security screening, documentation checks, and rigorous weight verification, including our own, are in place. In this instance, the procedure concerning cargo within our control operated as intended: the discrepancy was identified by our own staff, was escalated proactively and not overlooked and the shipment was stopped before it could proceed.
Our Full Cooperation and Compliance with Authorities GLS-Menzies has cooperated fully with the Joint Investigation Team and the relevant authorities from the outset. We have provided access to CCTV footage from our facility, relevant cargo documentation, import and export standard operating procedures, and a full walkthrough of our cargo handling processes to investigators. We are fully complying with the Writ of Subpoena Duces Tecum issued by the 13th Judicial Circuit for Margibi County on 16 June 2026, and have produced, and will continue to produce, every document, record, and item lawfully requested of us, completely and within the timeframes required. We will continue to extend our full and unconditional cooperation to every authority involved in this investigation, and to comply with every lawful process, request, and procedural requirement directed to us proactively and without delay. We trust the legal process, respect the rule of law, and remain fully committed to transparency and accountability.
Zero Tolerance and Full Coordination with Authorities Menzies Aviation maintains an absolute zero-tolerance policy toward any conduct that compromises the safety, security, or integrity of aviation operations anywhere in the world, without exception.
This is not a position adopted in response to any particular incident. It is a core, non-negotiable principle embedded in our global operating standards and the foundation on which we build every partnership. Should the investigation establish that any individual associated with our operations engaged in or facilitated wrongdoing, we will support the fullest measure of accountability under the law and take all appropriate internal disciplinary action.
We will likewise adopt and implement, in full, any recommendations arising from the investigation. We have no interest whatsoever in this matter and have no allegiance to any outcome other than the truth. Our only position is full, unconditional cooperation with every authority responsible for investigating this case. We will provide whatever is requested of us through the proper legal and procedural channels, without delay and without condition.
We respectfully encourage all parties to allow the investigative process to run its course and to rely on verified information communicated through the appropriate official channels. GLS-Menzies will not engage in public commentary that risks prejudicing the investigation or compromising the rights of any party involved. GLS-Menzies remains deeply committed to this country, its people, and the continued development of its cargo sector.
We have full faith in the Liberian justice system and in the authorities leading this investigation, and we are confident that the truth will be established through the proper process. We will not allow this matter to compromise the integrity of our operations or our long-term commitment to serving Liberia to the highest international standards.