Ghana court adjourns 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment trial

The Kwabenya Circuit Court has adjourned proceedings to November 5, 2026, to consider an application by the sixth accused, Helena Akua Denkyi, to have her name struck from the charge sheet. Denkyi, identified as a contract staff member of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, is charged alongside five others with the abetment of exporting narcotic drugs.

The case stems from the seizure of approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Dunkirk, France, on September 10, 2026. The drugs, estimated to have a street value of €225 million, were concealed in a container of plastic waste arriving from Ghana. Some of the consignment was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

Among the accused are individuals alleged to have been involved in scanning the container and failing to flag the suspicious contents. The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has linked the shipment to activities facilitated by Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, known as ‘Bolle Jos’. The prosecution has requested time to file necessary disclosures to allow the trial to proceed.