€225 Million Cocaine Seized in France After Shipment From Ghana, Four Arrested
French authorities intercepted nearly four tonnes of cocaine hidden inside a container of plastic waste originating from Ghana, triggering investigations and arrests on both sides of the Atlantic.
By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
September 22, 2026
French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed inside a container of plastic waste that originated from Ghana, in a major international narcotics investigation that has resulted in arrests in Ghana.
The cocaine was intercepted at the Port of Dunkirk in northern France on September 10, 2026. French authorities estimated the value of the shipment at approximately €225 million, equivalent to about US$260 million.
According to French authorities, the container had arrived from Ghana and was partly destined for the Belgian port of Antwerp.
The seizure has since triggered investigations by French and Ghanaian authorities into an alleged international drug-trafficking network.
Four people remanded in Ghana
The case has now moved into the Ghanaian courts, where four people have been remanded in connection with the alleged shipment.
An Accra High Court on September 17 remanded Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah and “Biggs”; Musah Atta, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Okyere; and Jessica Hartog.
They have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and the exportation of narcotic drugs in connection with approximately four tonnes of cocaine.
The four accused have pleaded not guilty.
The court ordered that they remain in custody pending further investigations and adjourned the case to October 13, 2026.
A fifth person, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos,” remains at large.
Who is Bolle Jos?
Leijdekkers is a wanted Dutch national who has been linked by international authorities and media reports to major cocaine-trafficking networks in Europe.
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission has said the three initial suspects arrested in connection with the case were allegedly representing or facilitating the activities of Leijdekkers in Ghana.
NACOC has also stressed that available intelligence does not indicate that Leijdekkers himself entered Ghana.
The Commission says he is believed to be in Sierra Leone, although the circumstances surrounding his alleged presence there remain under investigation.
How the investigation unfolded
According to prosecutors in Ghana, NACOC received information after French authorities intercepted the container at Dunkirk.
The shipment reportedly contained plastic waste, beneath which investigators allegedly found the cocaine.
Following the interception, Ghanaian authorities began tracing individuals believed to have connections to the shipment.
Three of the accused — Curiel, Hartog and Okyere — were arrested on September 12.
Musah Atta was subsequently arrested at NACOC headquarters on September 14.
The prosecution told the court that searches conducted during the investigation resulted in the recovery of three firearms, ammunition, four luxury vehicles, passports and various amounts of money.
The accused have denied involvement in the alleged cocaine shipment.
NACOC says suspects were under surveillance
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission says the investigation did not begin with the French seizure.
According to NACOC’s Acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations, PNCO Francis Opoku Amoah, some of the suspects had been under surveillance for between one and two years.
He said investigators had been monitoring their activities and waiting for an appropriate opportunity to make arrests involving people believed to be connected to the wider network.
NACOC has indicated that the investigation remains active and that additional arrests could take place in Ghana or other countries as international cooperation continues.
Questions over Ghana’s ports
The seizure has also triggered questions about how such a large quantity of cocaine allegedly left Ghana undetected.
The development has renewed scrutiny of Ghana’s port security, cargo-screening systems, customs controls and intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
The issue has become serious enough that Ghana’s parliamentary Minority has called for Parliament to be recalled to examine the circumstances surrounding the seizure.
The Minority wants authorities to explain how the container was processed, inspected and cleared before leaving Ghana, as well as the roles played by companies and institutions involved in the shipment.
It has also called for scrutiny of the country’s wider anti-narcotics and border-security systems.
President John Dramani Mahama has meanwhile directed the formation of an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap aimed at preventing drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders. The task force has been given two weeks to submit its recommendations.
A wider international investigation
The Dunkirk seizure comes amid growing international concern about West Africa’s role in the movement of narcotics into Europe and other markets.
For Ghana, the latest case raises questions not only about the individuals before the court but also about the networks, financiers and logistical arrangements that may be behind large-scale international drug shipments.
French authorities have opened an investigation into alleged organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association.
The cocaine seized in France has reportedly since been destroyed.
Meanwhile, investigations in Ghana and France remain ongoing, with authorities working to identify everyone allegedly connected to the shipment.
For now, the four people facing charges in Ghana remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, while authorities continue their efforts to establish the full chain behind the nearly €225 million cocaine shipment.
