Ghana ranked fifth among countries of origin for cocaine seizures at Belgium's Port of Antwerp in 2025, according to Belgian customs data. The ranking does not imply that the cocaine was produced in Ghana, but rather that the containers were loaded and shipped from there. Belgian customs intercepted nearly 55 tonnes of cocaine at Antwerp in 2025, a 24% increase from the 44 tonnes seized in 2024.
The top five countries of origin for cocaine seizures at Antwerp in 2025 were Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Ghana. Ghana was the only African country among the top five. The cocaine itself is believed to have originated mainly from South America. Belgian authorities have noted that traffickers are increasingly adapting their routes, including moving South American cocaine through West Africa before sending it onwards to Europe.
In Belgian customs terminology, a country's designation as the "country of origin" relates to where the container was loaded and shipped from, not necessarily where the cocaine was produced. This context is crucial in understanding Ghana's position in the data. The country's appearance in the top five follows several significant seizures involving cargo shipped from Tema, Ghana's port city.
On November 28, 2025, Belgian customs intercepted 2,829 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden inside a container carrying cassava flour that had arrived from Ghana's Tema Port. A separate shipment from Ghana resulted in the interception of 1,158 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine in December 2025. These two Antwerp seizures amounted to almost four tonnes, roughly 7% of the total cocaine intercepted at the port during 2025.
Ghana-linked seizures extend beyond Belgium, with Dutch authorities seizing approximately 4.5 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a timber shipment at the Port of Amsterdam in June 2025. The container had arrived from West Africa and was selected for inspection following a risk assessment. In June 2026, Australian authorities intercepted approximately 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in bags of charcoal in two shipping containers that had arrived from Ghana.
The growing number of major seizures involving Ghana-linked consignments has prompted calls for closer scrutiny of cargo screening, port security, and international cooperation in the fight against transnational drug trafficking. Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has been working with international authorities to investigate and disrupt these trafficking networks. NACOC announced arrests in connection with the shipments, while four Ghanaians were subsequently arraigned before the Accra High Court on charges relating to the alleged exportation of narcotic drugs.
The latest Belgian data places Ghana among the countries most frequently identified in connection with cocaine shipments intercepted at Antwerp during 2025. However, the figures alone do not establish that Ghana is a producer of cocaine or that the drugs were manufactured there. Rather, they reflect the origin of the containers intercepted by Belgian customs. The seizures have triggered investigations in Ghana and highlight the need for continued cooperation between international authorities to combat transnational drug trafficking.
Key points
- Ghana ranked 5th among countries of origin for cocaine seizures at Antwerp in 2025, with nearly 55 tonnes intercepted.
- The cocaine seized at Antwerp is believed to have originated mainly from South America, not Ghana.
- Ghana-linked seizures have been reported in several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, and France.
