On September 17, 2026, Ghana's President John Mahama convened an emergency high-level meeting with the country's security chiefs to address recent incidents of cocaine busts related to Ghana. The meeting, held at the Jubilee House, reviewed Ghana's vulnerabilities at ports, airports, and land borders. According to Edudzi Tameklo, CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, the meeting was tense, with the President expressing dissatisfaction with the recent seizures.
The meeting was a response to intense pressure from the Minority caucus in Parliament, which had demanded a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into a string of seizures worth over $1 billion. The caucus cited several incidents, including the seizure of 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in March 2025 and 866 parcels intercepted at Tema Harbour in August 2026. The Minority also questioned why only couriers and freight agents had been prosecuted while financiers remained at large.
On September 7, 2026, French Customs at the Port of Dunkirk intercepted a container of plastic waste from Ghana, which was found to contain 167 bales of cocaine weighing 3.9 metric tonnes. French authorities linked the shipment to fugitive Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, also known as "Bolle Jos." Leijdekkers is one of Europe's most wanted fugitives, sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison in the Netherlands for trafficking nearly seven tonnes of cocaine.
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announced the arrest of three suspects in Ghana accused of representing and facilitating Leijdekkers' network in Ghana. According to NACOC, the suspects had been under surveillance for some time. In the Netherlands, a man from Dordrecht was also arrested on September 4 in connection with the consignment and has been remanded in custody.
Edudzi Tameklo, a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), indicated that the President was not happy with the recent incidents of cocaine busts related to Ghana. He stated that the President would not allow anyone to destroy his legacy and that agency heads who were not working would soon be on their way out. Tameklo made these comments on The KeyPoints on September 19, 2026.
The invitation letter to the emergency meeting, signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, requested heads of key state institutions and private terminal operators to provide a brief assessment of existing security gaps and propose practical measures to improve intelligence sharing, surveillance, screening, and joint enforcement operations. The meeting aimed to review existing vulnerabilities and intelligence-sharing arrangements.
The recent seizures have raised concerns about Ghana's role in international drug trafficking. The government has vowed to take action against those responsible and to improve security measures to prevent future incidents. The President's meeting with security chiefs is seen as a step towards addressing these concerns and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.
Key points
- President John Mahama holds emergency meeting with security chiefs to address recent cocaine busts related to Ghana.
- The meeting aimed to review existing vulnerabilities and intelligence-sharing arrangements to prevent future incidents.
- The government has vowed to take action against those responsible for the recent cocaine seizures.
