French customs officials have intercepted nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine, worth about $261 million, in a shipment from Ghana.
According to Reuters news, the shipment was confiscated at the northern French port of Dunkirk on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The cocaine was concealed in 167 packages inside a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana and destined for Antwerp, Belgium.
The 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine is allegedly linked to the criminal organisation of fugitive Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers.
Reports suggest the drugs have since been destroyed, with French prosecutors opening an investigation into the seizure.
According to French authorities, the seizure followed a targeted operation by the judicial police against a criminal network suspected of being behind the shipment, with the investigation focused on offences including the organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association.
The seizure is expected to form part of the broader investigation into the movement of the cocaine from Ghana to France and the criminal network alleged to have organised the shipment.
Some Ghanaians reacting to the development stated, “That’s no way this much can be produced in Ghana unnoticed; even cannabis way less than this amount gets noticed easily unless cartel has a transit point in Ghana, @GhPoliceService you people better up your game to avoid embarrassment like this”.
A netizen added, “People should understand, even if it’s true this consignment passed through our port, there is always room for some lapses, and it happens not only in our port but across the world. Especially in developing countries”.
One X user added, “Probably from South America transiting through Ghana to evade High Authorities to Europe; this is how they move drugs. There is no way Ghana is producing such value of cocaine in Ghana. Even some South American countries that plant the coca plant can’t produce such amounts”.
In a related drug bust, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, the Interior Minister, has revealed that preliminary investigations into the meth shipment from Ghana intercepted in Australia have implicated some government officials suspected.
The Interior Minister disclosed that a number of government officials are suspected of facilitating the concealment of the illicit drugs.
According to the Interior Minister, investigations are ongoing, with several officials being questioned.
He further disclosed that, with the investigation and interrogating people, a lot of things are not adding up.
Speaking before Parliament’s Committee on Assurance, the Interior Minister stated, “Even as at yesterday we were still interrogating a lot of government officials. It is not everything I can put out at this stage because we are still investigating and interrogating people. There are a lot of things that are not adding up. You could see that there is some involvement of some people within the system”.
“Even if you put all these gadgets, remember it is going to be operated by human beings. So if the wrong persons are sitting there, you can bring all the gadgets of this world; it will not be effective,” he added.
“We have changed our modus operandi and the way we place personnel. All of this is to make sure we protect our borders,” he stated.
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French customs officials intercept nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine, estimated at $261 million, concealed in packages carrying plastic waste from Ghana…#EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #GHOneNews #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/giItJkFKa2
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) September 11, 2026
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