$261m Cocaine Bust: NACOC details how 3 Ghanaians linked to Dutch fugitive were arrested

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has revealed that intelligence gathered over a period of time, coupled with information received after a cocaine seizure in France, led to the arrest of three Ghanaian nationals suspected of links to Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”. Speaking on TV3 on September 14, 2026, the Director General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, said the three suspects had been monitored by the commission for some time before they were arrested over the weekend. He said NACOC had intelligence on the individuals and decided to move against them after receiving information concerning the seizure of a cocaine shipment in France. “The individuals that we've picked, they're Ghanaians. They're Ghanaians that we have intelligence on them. They're people that we've been monitoring for a while now,” Major General Mantey said. He explained that following the seizure, NACOC’s sources provided information suggesting that the suspects in Ghana could have information relevant to the investigation. “So, once we got the information of this seizure in France, then our sources informed us that this particular one, it's something that we have to make sure that the people in Ghana would have questions to answer,” he said. According to him, NACOC did not immediately arrest the suspects because investigators wanted to apprehend them together and obtain information that could help establish their respective roles and build a stronger case. “We haven't done the arrest for some time because these are individuals that we wanted to arrest together so that all the information that we need will be able to put them together in order to build a solid case against these individuals,” he said. Major General Mantey said the commission subsequently acted on the intelligence and arrested the three suspects. The arrests were announced by NACOC after French customs reportedly seized 3.9 kilogrammes of cocaine linked to a wider international drug-trafficking network. In an earlier statement, NACOC said its operatives had arrested three suspects for allegedly representing and facilitating the activities of Bolle Jos in Ghana. The suspects, whose identities have not been disclosed, were said to be in NACOC custody assisting investigators to establish their alleged roles in the trafficking operation. Jos, a Dutch national, is wanted in connection with major international drug-trafficking activities and has previously been identified by law-enforcement authorities as a fugitive. NACOC has not alleged that the three suspects are themselves members of Bolle Jos’ wider network beyond the specific roles investigators are examining. The commission has said the arrests form part of efforts to prevent Ghana from being used as a haven, transit point or operational base by international drug-trafficking organisations. NACOC has also indicated that the investigation involves cooperation with international law-enforcement partners following the seizure in France. The commission said it would continue working with domestic and international agencies to disrupt the people, financing and infrastructure supporting illicit drug trafficking. NACOC arrests three after France seizes Ghana-linked cocaine shipment Major General Mantey had earlier disclosed that NACOC was also working with internal security agencies, including the Ghana Navy and the Marine Police, to strengthen patrols along the country’s coastal borders. He said the measures were aimed at preventing Ghana’s coastline from being exploited by drug-trafficking networks. The commission has stressed that while it continues to investigate the suspects, their legal rights and protections will be safeguarded. JKB/BAI Stan Dogbe Orders Kpeshie Lagoon Restoration After Demolition of Illegal Structures Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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