By Daniel Bampoe
A dramatic cocaine seizure at the Swiss Port terminal of Kotoka International Airport has led to the remand of four Ghanaian nationals accused of attempting to smuggle 73 slabs of cocaine concealed in wooden boxes falsely declared as artefacts.
The suspects—Gariba Soli, an artefact dealer based at the Accra Art Centre, along with three freight forwarders, Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampfo Anti—were arraigned before court and subsequently remanded into custody following charges of narcotic trafficking.
The charges include attempting to export narcotic substances without a license, conspiracy, and unlawful possession of narcotics.
According to court documents and police disclosures, officers of the Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) uncovered the illicit consignment during a routine inspection at Swiss Port on April 23, 2025.
The officers flagged three wooden crates that were marked as containing cultural artefacts bound for export. Upon opening the boxes, authorities discovered 73 slabs of a powdered substance which subsequent tests confirmed to be cocaine.
Investigators say the consignment had been submitted for shipping earlier on April 14 by Gariba Soli, who claimed he was contracted by an individual identified only as “Patrick” to arrange the shipment.
Soli maintains he was under the impression that the cargo contained only handcrafted artefacts, as is routine in his line of work.
He told investigators that he had no prior knowledge of any narcotic substance in the boxes and only learned of the bust when he was summoned for questioning during the inspection.
The role of the freight forwarders—Baidoo, Mintah, and Ampfo Anti—remains under scrutiny, as investigators try to determine whether the accused acted knowingly or were manipulated into facilitating the export.
The case has reignited public concern about the exploitation of Ghana’s ports and cultural trade routes by international narcotics networks.
Kotoka International Airport, while boasting tight security, has not been immune to smuggling attempts in recent years, prompting repeated calls for greater vigilance at cargo checkpoints, especially within diplomatic and private freight channels.
The four accused will remain in custody while investigations continue, and law enforcement agencies say they are actively working to trace the whereabouts of “Patrick,” believed to be a central figure in the attempted drug trafficking operation.
