3 major busts made by security agencies in first quarter of 2025

The first quarter of the year appears to have been a busy period for security agencies in the country, particularly the National Security and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), due to their interceptions and confiscations of drugs and other illegal items in various parts of the country.

The state security agencies, through intelligence-led operations, have made significant busts at various intervals over the course of three months, marking a notable milestone in the country's fight against corruption, illegal activities, and narcotics.

GhanaWeb chronicles the number of busts made by security agencies in the last three months in this article.

Bust at Sapeiman

In February, the National Security made significant progress in its crackdown on illegal financial activities by intercepting a large consignment of gold bars, large unspecified amounts of Ghanaian cedis, and US dollars, including counterfeits hidden in a warehouse at Sapeiman, Accra.

The items were found hidden in 12 20-foot shipping containers after a painstaking intelligence-led operation from a tip-off. The concealed currency, mostly bundles of US dollars, was found in wooden boxes covered with cement.

Additional currencies were uncovered when other boxes in the warehouse were opened during the sting operation, all of which were suspected to be counterfeit.

These were concealed in boxes sealed with plywood and covered with charcoal.

National Security operatives involved in the operation revealed that two more containers were being tracked.

Other items seized in the bust included counterfeit Ghana Army uniforms and boots.

The suspects are still at large.

$350M Cocaine bust

In another groundbreaking operation in March, the National Intelligence Bureau intercepted substances believed to be cocaine.

The consignment, concealed in sacks and bags hidden under heaps of sand in a tipper truck, is reported to weigh 3,319.66 kilograms (3.3 tonnes), with an estimated street value of approximately $350 million.

Preliminary field testing conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) confirmed the substance as cocaine.

The tipper truck was arrested at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast in the Central Region en route to Accra.

$150M cocaine bust

On March 4, 2025, the National Intelligence Bureau seized approximately 120 slabs of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $150 million, on the Takoradi–Cape Coast Highway.

The drugs were found concealed and transported in a Hogvan truck, wrapped in green plastic bags. Following the bust, the driver of the truck was arrested, while other accomplices remain at large.

Meanwhile, the Minority has called for explanations regarding the updates and progress made by the security agencies, expressing concern over the perceived silence from the government on how the matter is being handled.

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