Credit Photo: DEA
By Face2Face Africa
The French organized crime prosecutor’s office announced that French customs on September 10 seized almost 3.9 metric tons of cocaine at the port of Dunkirk, Reuters reported.
The street value of the seized cocaine was estimated to be €225 million ($261.45 million), and the illicit drugs were hidden inside a container that was transported from Ghana. The container in question was loaded with plastic waste, and a portion of the shipment was initially set to be transported to Antwerp, Belgium.
Authorities have destroyed the cocaine, and an investigation has since been launched by the French prosecutor. Prior to the seizure, the judicial police in France had monitored the criminal network accused of organizing the shipment.
Authorities have since launched an investigation into charges including the organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association. Any suspect found guilty of those crimes faces up to 10 years in prison.
In 2025, 108.81 tonnes of narcotics with an estimated value of €2.197 billion ($2.533 billion) were seized by French customs.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announced that it has arrested three suspects in connection with the cocaine shipment, GhanaWeb reported. NACOC, in a statement, said the suspects were being investigated for “allegedly representing and facilitating the activities of Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as ‘Bolle Jos,’ in Ghana.”
“The arrests reaffirm NACOC’s resolve that Ghana will not be a safe haven, transit point or operational base for international drug-trafficking organisations,” the statement also said.
“The commission will continue working with domestic and international law-enforcement partners to disrupt the people, finances and infrastructure sustaining the illicit drug trade, while safeguarding the rights and legal protections of all persons under investigation.”