Ghana: 3.9 tonnes of cocaine seized in France, Mahama calls security meeting

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has summoned security, aviation, and port officials to a meeting on Thursday, September 17, at Jubilee House in Accra, following the seizure in France of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in a container that arrived from Ghana.

The meeting, scheduled for 12:30 pm, will address vulnerabilities in the control of ports, airports, and land borders. An invitation signed by the president’s secretary, Callistus Mahama, also mentions intelligence sharing, cargo and passenger control, inter-agency coordination, and the use of detection technologies.

The seizure took place at the port of Dunkirk. According to the French prosecutor’s office responsible for combating organized crime, the cocaine was hidden in a container of plastic waste that arrived from Ghana and was partially destined for Antwerp, Belgium. The resale value has been estimated at €225 million, or approximately $261 million.

French authorities have opened an investigation into the network suspected of organizing the importation. They indicated that the judicial police were already targeting this network prior to the interception of the container.

In Ghana, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announced on September 14 the arrest of three individuals suspected of facilitating the activities of Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, known as “Bolle Jos.” They are currently in custody and assisting investigators, according to the commission.

The meeting on September 17 will bring together leaders from key security and transport institutions, each accompanied by no more than one technical officer. Participants are expected to present the vulnerabilities they identify and propose measures regarding intelligence, surveillance, cargo control, and joint operations.