€225m Cocaine Haul From Ghana Sparks French Probe
France has been jolted by the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €225 million (about US$261 million) from a container that arrived at the northern French port of Dunkirk from Ghana.
The massive haul, described by French authorities as a major maritime narcotics seizure, was concealed inside a container carrying plastic waste. French prosecutors said part of the shipment was initially destined for the Belgian port of Antwerp.
The seizure has triggered a major criminal investigation in France and a parallel investigation in Ghana, with four people now facing charges in Accra over their alleged involvement in the exportation of about four tonnes of cocaine.
The development has raised fresh questions about the security of Ghana’s ports and the country’s vulnerability to international narcotics trafficking networks.
FRENCH AUTHORITIES MOVE IN
French Customs discovered the cocaine at Dunkirk after investigators targeted a criminal network suspected of organising the shipment.
The drugs reported by French authorities as 167 packages concealed in plastic waste were seized and subsequently destroyed.
France’s National Anti-Organised Crime Prosecutor’s Office immediately opened an investigation covering alleged acquisition, possession, transportation and organised importation of narcotics, as well as participation in a criminal association. The investigation has been handed to France’s anti-narcotics office, OFAST, to identify the wider criminal network behind the shipment.
The case has particular significance because French authorities have identified maritime cargo as an increasingly important channel for large-scale cocaine trafficking.
French Customs said it seized 108.81 tonnes of narcotics of all types in 2025, with an estimated value of €2.197 billion, while more than 84 tonnes of cocaine were seized in France that year by all investigative services.
FOUR GHANAIANS REMANDED
The Accra High Court has remanded four people accused of involvement in the alleged exportation of the cocaine shipment.
They are Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah and “Biggs”; Musah Atta, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Okyere; and Jessica Hartog.
They have pleaded not guilty.
A fifth suspect, Dutch national Jos Leudekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos,” is reported to be at large.
According to the prosecution’s case presented in court, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) began investigations after receiving information about the French interception.
The four accused were subsequently arrested in Ghana as investigators attempted to establish how the container allegedly left the country and who else may have been involved.
The case has also generated demands for a deeper investigation into companies, exporters, shipping documentation, port processes and individuals connected to the consignment.
The Minority in Parliament has separately called for parliamentary scrutiny of a series of major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana, arguing that the incidents raise questions about port security, customs controls, intelligence gathering and narcotics enforcement.
GHANA’S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE AT STAKE
The Dunkirk seizure has also prompted warnings that repeated international drug cases involving consignments originating from Ghana could damage the country’s reputation and commercial standing.
Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu has called for a thorough investigation, saying the seizure could undermine Ghana’s international reputation and urging authorities to establish whether individuals or entities in Ghana were involved.
Lawyer and IMANI Africa Vice-President Kofi Bentil has also described the seizure as “scandalous” and questioned how such a huge quantity of narcotics could leave Ghana without detection.
A GROWING INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAIL
The Dunkirk case comes amid a series of major international narcotics seizures involving commercial consignments originating from Ghana.
The pattern has heightened international attention on Ghana’s ports and its role in global maritime trade.
For French investigators, the immediate task is to identify the full network behind the €225 million cocaine shipment.
