Nayele Ametefe, also known as Ruby Appiah or 'Ruby Cocaine,' was arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2014 with cocaine concealed in her luggage. Investigations revealed that she had passed through the VVIP lounge at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana before boarding her flight. The VVIP lounge is reserved for high-profile and authorised travellers, not ordinary passengers. Ametefe held an Austrian passport and an ordinary Ghanaian one, but not a diplomatic passport.
Ametefe's arrest and the subsequent investigations led to a scandal that shaped how Ghanaians talk about drug trafficking through Kotoka International Airport. The case involved Ametefe and two other women, Nana Akua Amponsah and Sadalia Nuhu, who also used the VVIP lounge. They were assisted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Abiel Ashitey Armah, officer Theophilus Kissi, and protocol officer Abubakar Ahmed. CCTV footage helped identify the women and their role in using the lounge.
The British High Commission stated that UK authorities had no advance knowledge of Ametefe's plans before she left Accra. The Commission also noted that questions about the VVIP lounge's use should be directed to Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which managed the facility. Ametefe pleaded guilty to attempting to import cocaine and was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison in the UK.
The quantity of cocaine found in Ametefe's luggage varied between reports, with one putting it at 12.5 kilogrammes and an earlier statement citing 10 kilogrammes hidden among her clothing. Ametefe had reportedly claimed that the bag containing the cocaine was handed to her at the tarmac, but investigators' briefing did not fully address this claim.
The case had a significant impact on Ametefe's life and led to a confiscation battle in Ghana. A house at East Legon linked to Ametefe was confiscated by the High Court in 2017, but the Court of Appeal overturned that order in April 2022. The appellate court found that the state had not shown sufficient evidence linking the house to Ametefe or to proceeds of crime.
The British High Commission had to dismiss speculation that Ametefe might be transferred to serve her sentence in Ghana. The Commission clarified that a newly signed prisoner transfer agreement between the two countries did not apply retrospectively to those sentenced before it took effect. The case continues to raise questions about airport security and the use of the VVIP lounge.
The incident occurred on November 9, 2014, when Ametefe boarded British Airways flight BA078 out of Accra. She was arrested the day after at Heathrow Airport, acting on a tip-off from UK Border Force officials. Ametefe was carrying US$23,000 and £6,000, reportedly payment for moving drugs valued by prosecutors at roughly £1.9 million on the street.
Key points
- Ametefe did not have a diplomatic passport when she used the VVIP lounge at Kotoka Airport.
- The VVIP lounge is reserved for high-profile and authorised travellers, not ordinary passengers.
- The case led to a significant impact on Ametefe's life, including an eight-year prison sentence in the UK and a confiscation battle in Ghana.
