US$ 232,960 alleged Cannabis: One more grabbed and remanded

A 41-year-old man has appeared in an Accra Circuit Court. He is linked to 32 vacuum-sealed substances suspected to be cannabis.

Joey Mclaren Hammond faces several charges. These include conspiracy to export narcotic drugs without a license. He also faces two counts of unlawful possession of narcotics.

The court did not take Hammond’s plea. Another suspect, Browne-Frater Chyna Jade, is a 22-year-old British national. She was previously remanded by another Circuit Court.

Prosecutor Hilda Craig requested the court to remand Hammond. The defense lawyer opposed this request and sought bail for Hammond.

Trial Judge Mr. Isaac Addo denied bail due to the serious nature of the charges. He remanded Hammond into Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) custody until June 16, 2025.

Witnesses are NACOC officers stationed at Kotoka International Airport's Terminal Three. Jade was set to travel on British Airways flight BA 2068 from Accra to London.

Hammond is a Ghanaian businessman living in East Legon, Accra. NACOC received intelligence about a drug trafficking syndicate smuggling cannabis into the UK.

Jade became a person of interest and was placed on the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Stop List. On May 18, 2025, GIS officials arrested her at the airport.

She claimed ignorance about her suitcase's contents during initial questioning. NACOC officers traced her checked-in suitcase and had it offloaded from the aircraft.

At the NACOC Office, they opened her suitcase in her presence. They found thirty-two vacuum-sealed slabs of suspected narcotics weighing approximately 17.92 kilograms.

The estimated street value of these substances is USD 232,960. A field test confirmed the presence of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis.

Jade was arrested for attempting to export narcotic drugs and taken for further investigation. She stated she came to Ghana at her boyfriend Joey's invitation.

She claimed Joey packed her suitcase without informing her about its contents. She said it contained Kpoo Keke drink, Alomo Bitters, and spices but denied knowledge of any narcotics.

Efforts began to locate Joey for further questioning regarding this case. The seized substances were sealed and will be sent for analysis by the Ghana Standards Authority.

On May 26, 2025, Joey was arrested after being declared at large earlier. He voluntarily presented himself to NACOC with his lawyer.

During an identification parade, Jade recognized Browne Frater as the person who gave her the suitcase. Hammond admitted knowing Jade but claimed he had no further contact with her afterward.

Later that day, NACOC officers searched his East Legon residence and found various weapons along with seven wraps of cannabis and four partly smoked pieces of cannabis in his bedroom.

They also impounded a black Range Rover vehicle registered as GE 1435-25 during their search. During questioning, Hammond admitted using cannabis recreationally.

Investigations are ongoing.