Ghana-Linked Drug Seizures Reach 15.8 Tonnes As International Interceptions Mount

International law enforcement agencies have intercepted approximately 15.8 tonnes of cocaine in shipments linked to Ghana between January 2025 and September 2026. This has raised concerns about the use of the country’s ports and airports in international narcotics trafficking. The large quantities of cocaine seized suggest that Ghana is being used as a transit point for narcotics being smuggled to other countries.

The latest case involves Spanish authorities seizing 2.6 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a shipment of coconuts exported from Ghana’s Port of Tema. The drugs were discovered in two shipping containers that arrived at the Port of Valencia on August 22, 2026, having been loaded at Tema Port on August 2. Investigators found the cocaine hidden in false bottoms fitted into wooden crates carrying the coconuts.

Spanish customs officials and the Guardia Civil conducted a controlled delivery operation, tracking the containers to a warehouse in the La Juaida industrial estate in Viator, Almería. Two men were arrested while unloading the cargo. Details of the operation were made public on November 11, 2026. The Spanish seizure adds to a series of major international interceptions involving commercial shipments originating from Ghana.

In September 2026, French authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, valued at approximately €225 million (US$261 million), at the Port of Dunkirk. The drugs were concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana. Investigations into the shipment revealed abnormalities in pre-shipment container scan images at Tema Port. Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) subsequently arrested three initial suspects, with additional accomplices prosecuted in court.

Another interception occurred on October 31, 2026, at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanon, where approximately 40kg of suspected cocaine was discovered in the luggage of a Syrian national arriving from Accra. NACOC confirmed its cooperation with Lebanese authorities to identify Ghanaian accomplices. This case highlights the international cooperation required to combat narcotics trafficking.

In June 2026, Australian authorities also intercepted 320kg of methamphetamine concealed in a commercial shipment of charcoal exported from Ghana. The seizures follow several major cocaine interceptions in Europe in 2025. In June that year, Dutch customs officials seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a timber shipment from Tema at the Port of Amsterdam.

According to figures reported by JoyNews Research in September 2026, Ghana ranked as the fifth-largest country of origin for cocaine seized at the Port of Antwerp in 2025. Intelligence indicates that much of the cocaine originates from South America before being routed through Ghana and concealed in legitimate commercial exports destined for international markets.

Key points

• 15.8 tonnes of cocaine linked to Ghana seized between January 2025 and September 2026.
• Multiple international interceptions of narcotics linked to Ghana have been reported in 2025 and 2026.
• Ghana is being used as a transit point for narcotics being smuggled to other countries.