Court remands four into NACOC’s custody for alleged cocaine smuggling

An Accra circuit court has remanded four people into custody. They are accused of trying to transport suspected cocaine at Kotoka International Airport. The suspects are Gariba Soli, Josiah Biney, Emmanuel Minta, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti.

They face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime. They are also charged with possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority. The court, led by Sedinam Awo Kwadam, set their next appearance for May 6, 2025.

Soli is an artifact dealer in Accra. Biney, Minta, and Ampofo Anti work as freight forwarders. They are employees of Ansahdys Shipping and Logistics Company Limited at the airport.

On April 23, 2025, officers at the Swissport Cargo Terminal conducted a routine check. They examined outbound cargo destined for Brussels in Belgium. During this check, they found three wooden boxes that raised suspicions.

The boxes were actually headed for the Netherlands. An initial examination showed assorted wooden artifacts inside them. However, further inspection revealed hidden compartments in each box.

These compartments contained 73 compressed slabs of suspected narcotics. When tested, one slab showed a whitish powder that was cocaine. All four suspects were arrested on April 23 and taken to NACOC Headquarters for questioning.

During the investigation, all suspects denied knowing about the drugs. However, Soli admitted he was the shipper of the packages. He claimed he was hired by someone named Patrick to export the artifacts.

Soli said he worked with a representative named Onik since January 2025. Onik delivered the wooden boxes to him at the Art Exhibition Centre. Soli and his colleagues filled these boxes with artifacts before sealing them.

They dispatched the boxes to Swissport on April 14, 2025. The packages stayed with Ansahdys Shipping until he was called for an inspection where he was arrested.

The drug evidence will be sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for analysis and reporting.