Accra: Ghana's war on drugs has intensified since January 2025, with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Ghana Police Service, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and other security agencies conducting high-profile operations.
According to Ghana Web, these busts have targeted everything from massive cocaine shipments hidden in trucks to cannabis parcels on highways and clever concealment methods at the airport. In this article, we look at 14 major busts that made headlines from 2025 into early 2026, listed roughly in chronological order with the key facts straight from the reports.
In March 2025, the National Intelligence Bureau intercepted about 3.3 tonnes (3,319.66 kg) of cocaine hidden under heaps of sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction near Cape Coast, en route to Accra from the Western Region. This marked one of the largest cocaine seizures in Ghana's history, with an estimated street value of around $350 million.
Later in March 2025, NACOC arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian national, Uchechukwu Chima, at his hideout in Oyarifa, Accra. Officers recovered 192 kg of suspected cocaine and 0.42 kg of heroin, with a street value exceeding US$2.1 million.
Security agencies, including NACOC and NIB, conducted three significant operations in the first quarter of 2025, involving multi-ton cocaine consignments and substantial seizures of slabs along major highways. These operations demonstrated tighter coordination among agencies.
In May 2025, police arrested two women transporting 1,600 slabs of suspected Indian hemp (cannabis) intended for local distribution. By mid-2025, a seizure at the Kotoka International Airport involved 53.6 kg of cannabis, leading to the arrest of a British national linked to the smuggling attempt.
In June 2025, authorities publicly destroyed the 3.3 tonnes of cocaine seized earlier, valued at around $350 million, at Bundase Military Camp. NACOC and NIB jointly burned the drugs, along with other assorted narcotics totaling over 16,800 kg.
In September 2025, police intercepted 38 kg of suspected cannabis inland, arresting three suspects based on local intelligence before the shipment reached urban areas. By December 2025, NACOC launched "Operation White Ember," a major Christmas-season crackdown, arresting 72 suspects and seizing various drugs, including ecstasy, methamphetamine, and cannabis-laced alcohol, in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions.
On January 12, 2026, the Tema Regional Police intercepted two vehicles along the Akosombo-Tema road, recovering 1,613 compressed parcels of suspected narcotics. Two drivers were arrested and remanded, with samples sent for forensic testing.
In January 2026, the Volta North police seized 648 yellow parcels of suspected narcotics from a minibus headed toward Togo, rejecting a GHS150,000 bribe attempt by the suspects. On January 26, 2026, Ashanti Region police uncovered 713 slabs of suspected drugs during a snap check on a bus at Asanso Bekwai, with officers refusing a GHS150,000 bribe.
On January 16, 2026, NACOC raided Budumburam and nearby areas in the Central Region, leading to multiple arrests, including a key figure in the local drug trade. Officers seized quantities of suspected cannabis, tramadol, and other controlled substances.
In February 2026, NACOC arrested a senior manager at Kotoka International Airport for allegedly concealing cocaine in consignments of packaged gari meant for export. Later in February 2026, Greater Accra police intercepted a truck carrying 3,009 slabs of suspected cannabis, rejecting another GHS150,000 bribe attempt.
These operations indicate traffickers' reliance on highways, airports, and everyday concealment tactics, while officers consistently face bribery attempts. The larger hauls and arrests point to improved intelligence, collaboration between agencies, and community tips helping to counteract transit networks.