The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested the suspected lead shipper behind a foiled attempt to export about 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine from Ghana to Australia.
The suspect was arrested in Accra after three months of intelligence gathering and surveillance, conducted jointly with other security agencies, culminating in a final operation that spanned three nights.
“Through the efforts of Narcotics, in collaboration with the Bureau of National Investigation and other security agencies, I’m happy to announce that we have picked up the lead shipper,” the Director-General of the NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, told journalists in Accra on Wednesday [June 24, 2026].
“My officers slept out of their homes for three months and successfully picked up the person who led that enterprise,” he said.
More arrests
Brigadier General Mantey described the arrest as just the first step of a broader operation to dismantle the entire network behind the shipment, with security agencies preparing to make further arrests as investigations continue.
“This afternoon, we’ll be picking more.
Whoever is involved, like I always say, it is only God and the courts that can free you.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this enterprise and make sure that Ghana will not be declared as a narcotic state,” he added.
He warned that no one implicated in the case would be shielded from prosecution, regardless of rank or affiliation.
“Whether you are a member of the security agency, wherever you come from, if your name is mentioned, if you are suspected based on our intelligence assessment, we will pick you up. Rest assured, nobody will be spared,” he stressed.
Australian seizure
The arrest stems from a major drug bust in Australia tied to a shipment that originated in Ghana.
Australian authorities have charged three people after intercepting roughly 320 kg of methamphetamine hidden in two shipping containers that arrived at Sydney’s Port Botany from Ghana, declared as bags of charcoal.
The Australian Federal Police said Australian Border Force officers flagged anomalies during X-ray screening of the containers in April 2026.
A closer inspection turned up a white crystalline substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine, and forensic analysis put the total at about 320 kg, with an estimated street value of A$296 million.
Among those charged was British actress Emaa Hussen, 34, known for an EastEnders spin-off and a film alongside actor Jason Statham.
She has been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine into Australia and was refused bail.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Australian law.
