PTAAM-Africa calls for probe into $261m cocaine shipment seized in France

The President of the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement Africa (PTAAM-Africa), Ebenezer Havor, has called on the government to investigate the seizure of a cocaine consignment valued at about US$261 million by French authorities.

French customs officers reportedly seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the northern port of Dunkirk on Thursday, September 10, 2026, after the narcotics arrived in a container of plastic waste from Ghana.

The cocaine was allegedly concealed in the container, with part of the shipment initially destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

French authorities have since destroyed the drugs and opened an investigation into the shipment and the criminal network allegedly behind the operation.

Reacting to the development in a social media post on Monday, September 14, 2026, Havor said the government must establish the circumstances surrounding the shipment to protect the credibility and reputation of the administration.

“PTAAM-AFRICA calls on government to investigate alleged cocaine seizures. Government must investigate this allegation,” he wrote.

Havor warned that the incident could undermine the goodwill the government has built if individuals within or associated with the administration are found to have been involved in the alleged trafficking operation.

He urged the authorities to act swiftly to establish the facts and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the appropriate sanctions.

“Some few individuals in government want to put the hard-earned goodwill of this administration into dispute,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested three suspects for allegedly representing and facilitating the activities of Dutch fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”, in Ghana.

The arrests follow the seizure of the major cocaine shipment by French customs, which authorities say is allegedly linked to a wider international trafficking network.

NACOC said the three suspects are currently in its custody and are assisting investigators in establishing their alleged roles in the trafficking operation.

According to the Commission, the arrests form part of ongoing efforts to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks operating in or through Ghana.

“NACOC remains resolute that Ghana will not be a safe haven, transit point or operational base for international drug-trafficking organisations,” the Commission said in a statement.

The Commission added that it would continue working with domestic and international law-enforcement partners to disrupt the people, finances and infrastructure sustaining the illicit drug trade.

NACOC also assured that the rights and legal protections of all persons under investigation would be respected.

The arrests come days after French customs officers intercepted nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Dunkirk.

The shipment, valued at about €225 million, or approximately US$261 million, was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. Part of the consignment was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

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Dutch and French investigative sources have reportedly linked part of the shipment to the criminal organisation allegedly associated with Jos Leijdekkers. However, Dutch prosecutors have not independently confirmed his involvement in the specific seizure.

Leijdekkers, a Dutch national and convicted drug trafficker, has been sentenced in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium for cocaine trafficking and other offences.

He has remained at large and is believed to be operating from West Africa.



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