List of 4 Ghanaians Alleged to Have Played Key Roles in €225M Narcotics Shipment To France Surfaces

• Four Ghanaians have been charged over the alleged exportation of nearly 3.9 tonnes of narcotics from Ghana to France
• The suspects include Desmond Koranteng Curiel, Musah Attah, Kweku Otchere and businesswoman Jessica Hartog
• The accused persons have been remanded in custody and are expected to return to court on October 13, 2026

The identities of four Ghanaians facing charges over a major narcotics shipment intercepted in France have emerged.

The accused persons have been named as Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah or “Biggs”; Musah Attah, popularly called “Kromo”; Kweku Otchere; and Jessica Hartog.

They were arraigned before the High Court in Accra on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following investigations by Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

The court remanded the four accused persons in custody for four weeks. They are expected to reappear on October 13, 2026.

Charges against four Ghanaian suspects

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The accused persons are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and the exportation of narcotics without a licence issued by the Minister of Health.

A fifth accused person, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos”, is reportedly at large. NACOC alleged that some of the suspects arrested in Ghana represented and facilitated his activities in the country.

However, the claims against all the accused persons remain allegations which must be proven by prosecutors in court.

The case followed the interception of nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of narcotics by French customs officers at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10.

The narcotics, estimated to have a street value of €225 million, equivalent to more than $260 million, were reportedly concealed inside a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana. Part of the shipment was allegedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

French authorities subsequently destroyed the narcotics and opened an investigation into organised narcotics importation and participation in a criminal association.

Mahama orders tightening of porous borders

NACOC said it was cooperating with French authorities to obtain further information and establish how the container allegedly passed through Ghana’s port system.

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Another drug suspect arrested abroad with narcotics from Ghana

The investigation has since widened, with six additional people, including four Ghana Revenue Authority officers, appearing before a separate court over the alleged scanning and clearance of containers connected to the case.

Prosecutors claimed images from the scans showed abnormalities that should have led to further physical examination, but the containers were reportedly cleared for export.

President John Dramani Mahama consequently directed an inter-agency task force to develop stronger measures for detecting and preventing narcotics through Ghana’s borders. The team was given two weeks to submit its recommendations.

NDLEA arrests businessman over alleged illicit shipments

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported about Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, the Lagos-based herbal tea businessman arrested by the NDLEA over alleged illicit white powder shipments to Saudi Arabia.

The agency said the arrest formed part of a wider crackdown that uncovered major drug consignments across several Nigerian states.

The case drew attention because investigators alleged Ebubechukwu used a legitimate business as a cover for an international operation, while his previous conviction adds another troubling layer to the story.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh