The Ghana Navy has intercepted two wooden boats carrying 117 sacks of substances suspected to be cannabis in an Ada Estuary cannabis seizure valued at more than US$1 million.
The consignment, weighing about 4.7 tonnes, was intercepted on Thursday, November 5, during an intelligence-led operation by the Navy’s Riverine Command, working with the Narcotics Control Commission and National Security.
According to the Navy, each sack contained dried leaves packaged into more than 80 parcels. Preliminary intelligence suggests the consignment was being transported out of Ghana.
Suspects abandon boats
The Navy said those transporting the suspected drugs abandoned both vessels and fled after spotting naval personnel pursuing them.
No arrests were announced following the operation.
Director of Naval Operations, Naval Captain Festus Osei Brobbey, said the Riverine Command had strengthened its presence along the Volta Lake and surrounding communities to disrupt illegal activity on the waterway.
He stressed that intelligence gathering and continued surveillance remained important in identifying criminal movements.
Brobbey also praised residents who provided information to security agencies, saying community cooperation was helping security personnel respond to suspicious activity.
Ada residents urged to report suspicious activity
Ada East District Chief Executive and Chairman of the District Security Committee, Kenneth Kofi Kabu Kanor, warned residents against allowing the Volta Lake and adjoining waterways to become routes for drug trafficking.
He urged communities to report unusual movements to security agencies and pledged the Assembly’s support for operations in the district.
The latest interception follows other narcotics seizures along the Ada corridor this year. In July, the Navy intercepted another canoe at the estuary carrying 59 sacks of marijuana during a separate intelligence-led operation.
The Navy says it will continue maritime and riverine patrols aimed at preventing criminal networks from using Ghana’s inland waterways and coastal areas to move illicit substances.
READ ALSO: IMF Reaches Staff Agreement With Ghana on PCI First Review
