4 Customs officers among 10 held over drug busts

Ten individuals, including four officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), are in custody as investigations deepen into alleged drug trafficking through Ghana’s ports.

The development emerged after President John Dramani Mahama was briefed by the country’s security chiefs at an urgent meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2026, on investigations into the trafficking of narcotic substances out of the country.

The development comes against the backdrop of a separate court case involving six people accused of being connected to the export of nearly four tonnes of suspected cocaine from Ghana to France through the Tema Port.

A statement issued by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the President had received a detailed briefing on the investigations and was informed that “ten (10) individuals, including four officers of the Customs Division of the GRA, are being held while investigations continue.”

The Presidency, however, did not disclose the identities of the 10 people in custody or provide details of the specific allegations against each of them.

It also did not indicate whether charges had been filed against those being held, stressing the ongoing nature of the investigations.

The involvement of four Customs officers has nevertheless emerged as a significant aspect of the investigation, particularly in relation to the handling of containers that allegedly passed through the Customs scanning and clearance process at the Tema Port.

Court remands six

While the Presidency was reviewing the broader security implications of drug trafficking through the country’s ports, the Kwabenya Circuit Court in Accra on Thursday denied bail to six persons accused of involvement in the export of four containers containing approximately 3.9 tonnes of substances suspected to be cocaine.

The six accused are Francis Narh Amanor, Frank Adu-Boahen, Togbe Agbeti, Andrews Tetteh Amponsah, Daniel Laryea and Helena Akua Denkyi.

They appeared before the court on September 17, 2026, in connection with four 40-foot containers which allegedly left the Tema Port before being intercepted in France.

The court remanded all six accused persons in custody and adjourned the case to September 24, 2026, to allow investigations to continue.

Four of the accused are linked to the GRA and are facing allegations concerning the Customs scanning process through which the containers were cleared for export.

The prosecution’s case centres heavily on the scanning and clearance of the four containers, raising questions about how the alleged narcotic substances passed through the port despite what investigators say were abnormalities detected during scanning.

Four containers at centre of probe

According to the charge sheet, the containers involved are SELU4549480, FFAU2242304, MSDU5642699 and SELU4809801.

The prosecution alleges that all four containers were scanned before being exported.

However, it says the scan images contained abnormalities that should have prompted further examination of the containers.

Despite the alleged abnormalities, the containers were cleared and allowed to leave the port.

The allegations have consequently placed the Customs scanning system at the centre of the investigation, with authorities seeking to establish who reviewed the images, what was observed during the scanning process and why the containers were eventually released for export.

The case also raises questions about the chain of responsibility in the scanning and clearance process and whether established procedures were followed before the containers were allowed to leave Ghana.

Customs login credentials allegedly shared

One of the specific allegations concerns Frank Adu-Boahen, who the prosecution says provided his login credentials to other accused persons to conduct scan-image analysis on his behalf.

According to the prosecution, Adu-Boahen was expected to personally undertake the analysis but allegedly allowed others to use his credentials.

The prosecution has also alleged that Adu-Boahen was the owner of the four containers.

Investigators reportedly arrested him at an alleged hideout at Community 19 in Tema on September 16.

The prosecution says Adu-Boahen admitted during investigations that he owned the containers and had loaded them at a warehouse in Community 12, Tema.

He reportedly told investigators that he shipped the containers together with Francis Narh Amanor.

Amanor, a freight forwarder and Managing Director of Fresna Commodities Ltd, was arrested on September 15.

Freight forwarding trail

The investigation has also followed the documentation and contact details associated with the shipment through the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).

According to the charge sheet, checks on ICUMS identified Fresna Commodities Ltd as the exporter of the containers, with Amanor’s telephone number listed as the contact.

The same telephone number was reportedly linked to F&F Logistics, which investigators identified as the freight forwarder.

The prosecution says Amanor told investigators that he owned F&F Logistics and had handled the export of the four containers.

He reportedly maintained that the containers contained pet flakes or plastic scraps.

Amanor also allegedly identified Adu-Boahen as the owner of the shipment and said Adu-Boahen had engaged his services for the export.

The prosecution is seeking to establish how the shipment moved through the various stages of documentation, scanning, Customs processing and eventual export before the containers were intercepted in France.

Three charges

The six accused persons face three broad charges: conspiracy to export narcotic drugs; exportation of narcotic drugs without the required licence; and abetment of the exportation of narcotic drugs.

The abetment charge is directed at the four GRA officials.

The prosecution alleges that the first and second accused persons exported the four containers containing approximately 3.9 tonnes of suspected narcotic substances.

The allegations have not been determined by the court, and the accused persons remain entitled to the applicable legal protections as the case proceeds.

The denial of bail means all six will remain in custody pending the next court hearing on September 24.

President orders new anti-drug roadmap

The court proceedings coincided with the Presidency’s announcement of fresh measures to strengthen Ghana’s response to drug trafficking through its borders.

At Thursday’s meeting with the security chiefs, President Mahama reviewed the existing structures and security systems designed to prevent the movement of narcotic substances through Ghana’s borders.

The meeting also considered additional measures aimed at strengthening controls and closing possible gaps in the systems currently in place.

President Mahama subsequently directed the formation of an inter-agency task force to develop a detailed roadmap to prevent drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders.

The task force is expected to submit its proposals within two weeks.

The roadmap will be based on the outcome of the meeting between the President and the security chiefs and is expected to outline additional measures for strengthening Ghana’s border and port security systems.

The directive comes as the investigation into the alleged export of the four containers places renewed attention on the effectiveness of existing controls at Ghana’s ports.

Focus shifts to port controls

The emerging details of the case have placed particular focus on the systems used to screen and clear containers for export.

The prosecution’s allegations that the four containers were scanned and that the resulting images showed abnormalities that should have triggered further examination have made the scanning process a critical part of the investigation.

Authorities are therefore seeking to determine how the containers proceeded through the Customs process, the role played by the individuals involved and whether established procedures were followed at each stage.

The investigation is also examining the relationship between the alleged owners, exporters, freight forwarders and Customs officials, as well as the use of Customs system credentials during the scanning process.

At the presidential level, the formation of the inter-agency task force signals an attempt to examine the issue beyond the individual criminal case and assess the broader security architecture governing the movement of goods through Ghana’s borders.

For now, the 10 people being held remain under investigation, while the six accused before the Kwabenya Circuit Court are to return to court on September 24 as investigations into the alleged export of the nearly four tonnes of suspected cocaine continue.