The identities of four Ghanaians facing charges over a major narcotics shipment intercepted in France have been revealed. Desmond Koranteng Curiel, Musah Attah, Kweku Otchere, and businesswoman Jessica Hartog were arraigned before the High Court in Accra on September 16, 2026. They are accused of conspiracy to commit a crime and exportation of narcotics without a licence. The court remanded the four accused persons in custody for four weeks, with an expected return to court on October 13, 2026.
The accused persons are alleged to have played key roles in the exportation of nearly 3.9 tonnes of narcotics from Ghana to France. The narcotics, worth €225 million, were intercepted by French customs officers at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. They were concealed inside a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana, with part of the shipment allegedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium. French authorities subsequently destroyed the narcotics and opened an investigation into organised narcotics importation.
A fifth accused person, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos”, is reportedly at large. Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) alleged that some of the suspects arrested in Ghana represented and facilitated his activities in the country. However, the claims against all the accused persons remain allegations that must be proven by prosecutors in court.
NACOC is cooperating with French authorities to obtain further information and establish how the container allegedly passed through Ghana’s port system. The investigation has since widened, with six additional people, including four Ghana Revenue Authority officers, appearing before a separate court over the alleged scanning and clearance of containers connected to the case.
Prosecutors claimed images from the scans showed abnormalities that should have led to further physical examination, but the containers were reportedly cleared for export. President John Dramani Mahama has directed an inter-agency task force to develop stronger measures for detecting and preventing narcotics through Ghana’s borders. The team was given two weeks to submit its recommendations.
The case has drawn attention to the issue of narcotics trafficking in the region. Earlier, a Lagos-based herbal tea businessman, Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was arrested by the NDLEA over alleged illicit white powder shipments to Saudi Arabia. The agency said the arrest formed part of a wider crackdown that uncovered major drug consignments across several Nigerian states.
The four Ghanaian suspects – Desmond Koranteng Curiel, Musah Attah, Kweku Otchere, and Jessica Hartog – will return to court on October 13, 2026. The case highlights the need for stronger measures to prevent narcotics trafficking through Ghana’s borders.
Key points
- The four Ghanaians face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and exportation of narcotics without a licence.
- The narcotics shipment was worth €225 million and was intercepted by French customs officers at the Port of Dunkirk.
- President John Dramani Mahama has directed an inter-agency task force to develop stronger measures for detecting and preventing narcotics through Ghana’s borders.
