By Issah Olegor
Ghana has been ranked the fifth-largest country of origin of cocaine seized at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2025, according to data attributed to Belgian Customs and published by JoyNews Research on September 29, 2026.
The ranking places Ghana among the five countries identified as sources of cocaine seized at one of Europe’s major maritime gateways, alongside Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil and Colombia.
The data is specifically based on the country of origin of cocaine seized at the Port of Antwerp, rather than indicating that all cocaine originating from Ghana was produced in Ghana.
The latest figures come amid renewed international scrutiny of Ghana’s links to the cocaine trade, following a series of major drug seizures involving consignments connected to the country.
According to the report, Belgian authorities seized a total of 55 tonnes of South American cocaine at Antwerp in 2025, up from 44 tonnes in 2024.
Antwerp has become one of Europe’s principal entry points for cocaine trafficked from Latin America. European drug authorities have previously identified Antwerp, Rotterdam and major Spanish ports among the principal European maritime gateways exploited by organised criminal networks to move cocaine into Europe.
The Ghana ranking is particularly significant because Belgian Customs recorded major cocaine seizures from consignments associated with Ghana during the period. In December 2025, Belgian Customs announced the seizure of 2,829 kilogrammes of cocaine at Antwerp’s port.
The drugs were concealed in a container carrying cassava flour and the container had originated from Ghana’s Tema Port.
The issue has gained further prominence in 2026 following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in Dunkirk, France, from a container that had arrived from Ghana.
French authorities’ seizure has subsequently triggered investigations in Ghana and France, with Ghanaian authorities announcing arrests in connection with the shipment. Reports indicate that part of the consignment was reportedly destined for Antwerp.
The latest ranking also comes against the background of the March 2025 Pedu Junction cocaine seizure, when more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine were intercepted in a tipper truck in the Central Region. The seizure became one of the country’s largest domestic narcotics interceptions in recent years.
The repeated appearance of Ghana-linked consignments in major European narcotics cases has consequently intensified questions about the country’s ports, export-control procedures and vulnerability to international trafficking networks.
