An Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Mrs Sedinam Kwadam., has remanded four persons into the custody of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) for allegedly attempting to export 73 slabs of suspected cocaine concealed in wooden boxes through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The accused — Gariba Soli, Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti — have been slapped with four counts, including attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without a license, conspiracy to commit crime, and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, all contrary to various sections of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).
The suspects, according to prosecutors, attempted to ship the consignment to the Netherlands on April 23, 2025. Court documents indicate that the 73 slabs were discovered in concealed compartments within three wooden boxes initially declared as containing only wooden artifacts.
Counsel for the accused, Andrew Kudzo Vortia, made a case for bail, arguing that the substance in question had yet to be tested and that the accused had been in custody for seven days. He told the court that the cargo had been scanned without raising any suspicion and only later discovered to be concealing narcotics after a more thorough inspection.
He also mentioned that the accused are shipping agents who, at the time, were dealing in frozen meat export, prompting the presiding judge to ask, “Does Ghana export frozen meat outside the country?” To which counsel responded, “It’s possible.”
Her Honour, however, ruled that the application for bail must be brought formally. She ordered the accused to be remanded in NACOC custody until May 6, 2025, and stated that any bail application must come with three sureties, each with a valid Ghana Card.
In Count One, the accused are charged with attempting to export narcotic drugs without the requisite license from the Minister for Health. The prosecution alleges that the four men tried to ship three wooden boxes containing the drugs through the Swissport Cargo Terminal.
Count Two accuses the group of conspiring to export the narcotics, while Count Three charges them with conspiracy to possess narcotics for trafficking. Count Four directly charges them with possession of the suspected cocaine without lawful authority.
The facts presented in court revealed that NACOC officers, during routine checks at the export section of the Swissport Cargo Terminal, intercepted three wooden boxes destined for Brussels. Initial scanning did not reveal anything incriminating, but further examination uncovered hidden compartments in the boxes. These compartments contained 73 compressed slabs of a whitish powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine.
Investigations show that Gariba Soli, an artifact dealer at the Art Exhibition Center in Accra, was the shipper of the intercepted cargo. He told investigators he had been contracted by one Patrick, whose local representatives — identified only as Onik and Imex — delivered the boxes to him. Soli claimed that he and his team loaded the boxes with artifacts and sent them to Swissport on April 14, 2025.
Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti, all employees of Ansahdys Shipping & Logistics Co. Ltd., are said to have handled the freight forwarding process. They have all denied knowledge of the narcotics.
The suspected cocaine is to be forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for analytical examination. Investigations are still ongoing.
Credit: myrepubliconline.com
