The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in Ghana has announced that more arrests will be made in connection with a recent cocaine bust in France worth €225 million. The Acting Director of Public Affairs at NACOC, Francis Opoku Amoah, stated that the three suspects already in custody are only part of a wider network. He assured that NACOC is working with domestic and international partners to dismantle all drug networks and prevent Ghana from becoming a safe haven for international drug trafficking organisations.
The cocaine bust occurred on September 7 at the Port of Dunkirk in France, where French Customs intercepted a container of plastic waste from Ghana bound for Antwerp, Belgium. The container was found to contain 167 bales of cocaine weighing 3.9 metric tonnes. French authorities had been targeting the network behind the shipment, and an investigation for organized importation of narcotics and criminal association has been opened.
The seizure has been linked to fugitive Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, also known as "Bolle Jos," who is one of Europe's most wanted fugitives. Leijdekkers, 33, has been sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison in the Netherlands for trafficking nearly seven tonnes of cocaine. He is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone. NACOC says intelligence indicates that Leijdekkers himself has not entered Ghana, but his associates were operating from the country.
Following the bust, NACOC announced the arrest of three suspects in Ghana accused of representing and facilitating Leijdekkers' network in Ghana. The Commission said they 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.
NACOC's Francis Opoku Amoah stated that Ghanaians should expect more arrests in the coming days as investigations continue. He emphasised that the Commission is working to dismantle all drug networks and ensure that Ghana does not become a safe haven for international drug trafficking organisations.
The €225 million cocaine bust is one of the largest seizures in recent years, highlighting the ongoing efforts of international authorities to combat organised crime and drug trafficking. The investigation is ongoing, with NACOC working closely with domestic and international partners to bring more accomplices to face the law.
The case is a significant development in the fight against drug trafficking in West Africa, with Ghana playing a key role in the region. The authorities in Ghana and Europe are continuing to work together to disrupt and dismantle the networks involved in the trafficking of narcotics.
Key points
- More arrests are expected in connection with the €225m cocaine bust in France linked to a wider network.
- The seizure has been linked to fugitive Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe's most wanted fugitives.
- NACOC is working with domestic and international partners to dismantle all drug networks and prevent Ghana from becoming a safe haven for international drug trafficking organisations.
