Four Arraigned Over 73 Slabs of Suspected Cocaine at Kotoka Airport

Accra Circuit Court

Four men have been arrested for allegedly trying to export narcotics. They appeared in an Accra Circuit Court and were remanded into custody.

The accused are Gariba Soli, Josiah Biney, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti. They faced multiple charges, including attempted drug exportation and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam did not take their pleas. The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) requested this due to ongoing investigations.

According to the charge sheet, the men tried to export three wooden boxes. These boxes contained 73 slabs of suspected cocaine destined for the Netherlands on April 23, 2025.

NACOC officials intercepted the boxes during a routine inspection at Kotoka International Airport. Initially presented as wooden artifacts, they raised suspicions among officials.

A surface examination showed assorted wooden items. However, further inspection revealed hidden compartments containing compressed slabs of a whitish powdery substance. Preliminary tests confirmed it was cocaine.

Gariba Soli is an artifact dealer from the Art Exhibition Center in Accra. He claimed he was contracted by someone named Patrick to export the artifacts. He said Patrick’s associates delivered the boxes and that he knew nothing about the drugs.

His co-accused—Biney, Mintah, and Ampofo Anti—are freight forwarders with Ansahdys Shipping and Logistics Company Ltd. They facilitated the shipment and were arrested alongside Soli at the scene.

NACOC officials will send the suspected narcotics to the Ghana Standards Authority for analysis. The case has been adjourned while investigations continue.