President John Dramani Mahama has received a preliminary report on investigations into the Ghana cocaine shipment intercepted in France, as authorities examine how nearly 3.9 tonnes of the drug passed through the country’s export control system.
Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner General Anthony Sarpong disclosed the development during an appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
He said President Mahama constituted a multi agency security team to investigate the shipment and identify weaknesses in systems used to monitor goods leaving Ghana’s ports.
The team was initially given two weeks to conduct its work.
“The report was presented to the President in terms of what the state of the investigation is, and what the recommendations are to be able to close all the gaps substantially,” Mr Sarpong said.
Government Eyes Gaps at Ports
According to the GRA Commissioner General, recommendations from the investigation are expected to guide policy decisions and investments aimed at tightening security at Ghana’s entry and exit points.
The focus includes identifying loopholes that may allow illicit consignments to leave the country without detection.
French customs intercepted nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. The drugs, valued at about €225 million, were concealed in a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana, with part of the shipment reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.
Suspects Face Court Proceedings
NACOC initially announced the arrest of three suspects allegedly connected to Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos.”
Subsequent court proceedings showed four Ghanaians had been charged and remanded over the shipment, while Leijdekkers remained at large. The allegations against the accused have not yet been proven in court.
Investigations are continuing into both the trafficking network and the processes through which the container left Ghana.
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