Tema Police Intercept US$6.9 Million Cocaine Shipment Concealed in Gari Sacks; Dutch National Among Three Arrested

The Tema Regional Police Command has dealt a significant blow to international narcotics trafficking following the interception of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of US$6.928 million. During an intelligence-led operation on the evening of August 5, 2026, officers discovered the illicit substance cleverly concealed within sacks of gari—a local food staple—and "konkonte" intended for export. The raid took place at a warehouse within the Tema Port enclave just as the goods were being loaded into a 40-foot container for shipment.

Three individuals were apprehended at the scene while supervising the loading process. The suspects have been identified as 31-year-old Dutch national Gilano Horwin, and two Ghanaians, John Mensah Sabah, 41, and Alhaji Iddris Haruna. During preliminary interrogations, Horwin reportedly claimed ownership of the intercepted consignment. The police have seized the truck used in the operation alongside the 866 parcels of white powdered substance, all of which are currently being held as evidence as investigations continue at the police headquarters.

In a parallel anti-narcotics effort on the same day, the police conducted an operation at Tsopoli in the Greater Accra Region. This secondary action led to the arrest of a taxi driver, Eric Tetteh, and the seizure of four sacks of suspected Indian hemp. Although the police successfully intercepted the taxi, a bus allegedly carrying additional narcotics managed to escape the scene during a pursuit. Authorities are currently searching for the escaped vehicle and a missing fifth sack of the substance believed to have been discarded or moved.

These successful operations underscore the Ghana Police Service's intensified efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks operating within the country's maritime and terrestrial borders. The Tema Regional Police Command has reiterated its commitment to maintaining security and has called for continued public collaboration in identifying and reporting suspicious narcotics-related activities. As the three primary suspects remain in custody, the police are working to uncover the full extent of the trafficking syndicate and identify any further accomplices in the attempted export.