Four men arrested in connection with an alleged attempt to export narcotic drugs through the Kotoka International Airport have been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court and remanded into lawful custody.
The accused — Gariba Soli, Josiah Biney, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti — appeared before Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam on Monday.
They are facing multiple charges including attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without a licence, conspiracy to commit a crime, and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.
The presiding judge did not take the pleas of the accused, following a request from the legal team of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), which argued that investigations were still ongoing.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons attempted to export three wooden boxes containing 73 slabs of substances suspected to be cocaine to the Netherlands on April 23, 2025.
The boxes were intercepted during a routine inspection by NACOC officials at the Swissport Cargo Terminal of Kotoka International Airport.
The intercepted packages, initially presented as wooden artifacts for export, raised suspicions among officials. Though a surface examination revealed only assorted wooden items, further inspection and scanning uncovered false compartments within the boxes.
These hidden sections were found to contain 73 compressed slabs of a whitish powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine in a preliminary field test.
Gariba Soli, an artifact dealer based at the Art Exhibition Center in Accra, was listed as the shipper of the consignment.
He reportedly told investigators that he had been contracted by an individual named Patrick to export the artifacts, and claimed the boxes had been delivered to him by Patrick’s local associates, known only as Onik and Imex. He maintained that he had no knowledge of the hidden drugs.
His co-accused — Biney, Mintah, and Ampofo Anti — are said to be freight forwarders working with Ansahdys Shipping and Logistics Company Ltd, based at the Aviance Cargo Village at the airport. All three were involved in facilitating the shipment and were arrested alongside Soli at the scene.
NACOC officials confirmed that the suspected narcotics will be forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for further analysis. The case has been adjourned while investigations continue.
