Friday, 18 September

4 Ghanaians arraigned over alleged €225m cocaine export

Crime
Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey - Director General of NACOC

Four Ghanaians have been charged and arraigned before the High Court in Accra over their alleged involvement in a plot to export about four tonnes of cocaine from Ghana to France.

The accused are Desmond Koranteng Curiel, alias “Paul Kweku Yeboah” or “Biggs”; Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Otchere; and Jessica Hartog.

They were arraigned on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and are facing two charges:

- Conspiracy to commit a crime, namely the exportation of narcotic drugs without a licence issued by the Minister of Health.

- Exportation of narcotic drugs.

The charges were filed on Wednesday, and the hearing was held shortly afterwards.

The four accused have been remanded for four weeks and are expected to reappear before the court on October 13, 2026.

A fifth accused, Jos Leijdekkers, alias “Bolle Jos”, a Dutch national, is said to be at large.

The case follows the seizure by French customs authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the northern French port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026.

The cocaine, estimated to be worth €225 million, was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. Part of the consignment was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

Following the seizure, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announced the arrest of suspects in Ghana over their alleged involvement in the shipment.

NACOC said the suspects were alleged to have represented and facilitated the activities of Leijdekkers in Ghana.

The Commission subsequently began working with French authorities to obtain further information on the seizure and assist Ghanaian investigators in tracing how the consignment allegedly left Ghana for France.

Source: classfmonline.com