Ghana’s National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has successfully seized a colossal 3.3 tonnes (3,319.66 kilograms) of suspected cocaine. The illicit drugs, estimated to be worth a staggering $350 million on the street, were discovered concealed within a seemingly innocuous cargo of sand being transported by a tipper truck.
Acting on intelligence, NIB operatives intercepted the truck at Pedu Junction, near Cape Coast in the Central Region, as it made its way towards the capital city, Accra. The sheer volume of the seizure marks it as one of the most significant cocaine busts in Ghanaian history. The driver of the truck, identified as Isaac Quaicoo, 39, along with his assistant, Kenneth Cobbinah, a 25-year-old student, are currently in police custody and assisting with the ongoing investigation. After offloading the sand, law enforcement officials unearthed 143 individually marked sacks, containing a total of 2,974 kilograms of the suspected narcotics. Initial field tests conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) confirmed the substance to be cocaine.
Following this initial discovery, NIB operatives, acting on further intelligence, raided a suspect’s residence on March 8, 2025. This search yielded an additional 13 sacks and one bag of suspected cocaine, weighing 345.07 kilograms. Subsequent laboratory testing by NACOC and the Ghana Standards Authority revealed that the seized cocaine was of high purity, ranging from 50% to 70%, according to sources within the NIB speaking to the media. Quaicoo and Cobbinah are scheduled to appear before a court of law on April 2, 2025.
Manhunt Underway for Accomplices
The NIB has also confirmed that they are actively pursuing other individuals believed to be connected to the drug trafficking operation. Several accomplices have been identified and are currently at large. Investigators have identified Charles Hagan as the individual who contracted Quaicoo and Cobbinah to transport the illicit consignment. A subsequent search of the home of Francis Awortwi, a known associate of Hagan (also known as Panya) who allegedly hired the tipper truck and its crew to transport the cocaine to Accra, led to the discovery of further quantities of the suspected drug.
A NIB source emphasized that this successful operation demonstrates the effectiveness of the Bureau’s counter-narcotics efforts and underscores the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies in disrupting and dismantling organized crime networks.
Recent Arrests Of Drugs By NIB
The recent seizure brings to mind other notable drug busts in Ghana’s history. In June of last year, two British nationals were apprehended for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine valued at $6.48 million (£5 million) from Ghana to London. Approximately 166 kilograms (366 lbs) of cocaine were seized at Kotoka International Airport in connection with that case. The suspects were planning to board a British Airways flight destined for London Gatwick Airport. Ghana’s Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) alleged that the pair had concealed the cocaine, divided into 72 individual slabs, inside six suitcases.
In 2022, Ghanaian security agencies reported a marked increase in drug seizures, reaching a record-breaking total of 59.9 kilograms of illicit narcotics discovered.
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