Four Ghanaians accused of conspiring to smuggle nearly four tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €225 million from Ghana to France have been formally charged and arraigned before the High Court in Accra.
The four appeared before the court on Wednesday and were remanded into custody for four weeks.
They are expected to reappear on October 13, 2026.
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) identified the accused persons as Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah or “Biggs”; Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Otchere; and Jessica Hartog.
A fifth suspect, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”, is wanted in connection with the case but remains at large.
The accused persons are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically the exportation of narcotic drugs without a licence from the Minister of Health, as well as the actual exportation of narcotic drugs.
Prosecutors filed the charges on Wednesday, following investigations into a major cocaine seizure in France.
French customs officials at the Port of Dunkirk reportedly discovered nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container that had arrived from Ghana on September 10.
According to the case, the narcotics had been hidden among plastic waste in the container.
Some of the cocaine was reportedly destined for Antwerp in Belgium.
Following the seizure, NACOC arrested three individuals suspected of having links to the shipment.
The Commission said at the time that the suspects were allegedly acting on behalf of Mr. Leijdekkers and assisting him with operations in Ghana.
Investigators have since been working with French authorities to establish how the cocaine was allegedly exported from Ghana and to determine the circumstances surrounding the shipment.
