The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested the alleged ringleader of a drug trafficking network linked to the seizure of about 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment from Ghana and intercepted in Australia.
The arrest marks a breakthrough in investigations launched after Australian authorities announced on June 19 that they had intercepted the drugs, valued at an estimated A$296 million, before they could reach the country’s illicit market.
Speaking at NACOC’s annual drug destruction exercise in Accra on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Director-General Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey said the suspect was arrested following a three-month intelligence-led operation involving NACOC, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), and other national security agencies.
“This afternoon, we will be picking more,” Brig. Gen. Mantey said, indicating that additional arrests were expected as investigators continue to dismantle the network.
He said officers assigned to the operation spent months gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance before making the arrest.
The commission did not disclose the identity, nationality, or other details of the suspect.
The case stems from the interception of a shipment declared as bags of charcoal exported from Ghana but found to contain approximately 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
Australian authorities have already charged three people in connection with the case, including British national Emaa Hussen, 34, and an Australian couple. The suspects appeared before the Adelaide Magistrates Court in May and were remanded into custody until September 2026.
NACOC confirmed the Australian seizure last week and said it had begun working with domestic security agencies and international partners to trace and arrest individuals linked to the operation in Ghana.
Brig. Gen. Mantey vowed that all persons connected to the trafficking network would be pursued, regardless of their status or institutional affiliations.
“Wherever we are, we get information,” he said. “It is only God and the courts that can free you.”
He also warned that members of the security services would not be shielded from investigations if intelligence linked them to the case.
“You are a member of the security agency wherever you come from,” he said. “If your name is mentioned, we suspect anything based on our intelligence. Rest assured, action will follow.”
The development came as NACOC destroyed more than 9.6 tonnes of seized narcotic drugs under a court-authorised disposal process.
According to the commission, samples of the drugs were tested by the Ghana Standards Authority before and after court approval to ensure the integrity of exhibits and prevent tampering.
Brig. Gen. Mantey said NACOC was also intensifying preventive measures through public education and awareness campaigns aimed at discouraging drug use, particularly among young people.
He urged the media to continue supporting efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking through sustained public education.
Australia intercepts US$208m meth shipment from Ghana, three arrested
