Ghanaian authorities have intensified a nationwide manhunt after confirming the country’s largest cocaine seizure in 2025. The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has declared three more individuals wanted — Kelian Julien Mensah, Jefflean Kwadjo Ntow, and Charles Hagan — in connection with the interception of over three tonnes of cocaine near Pedu Junction in the Central Region in March. The illicit cargo, hidden under sand in a tipper truck en route to Accra, was sent for forensic testing after a court order by Justice Ruby Aryeetey. Initial field tests suggested cocaine, later verified through advanced analyses — High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry — by the Ghana Standards Authority.
The seized cocaine, valued at over $350 million, is scheduled for destruction on 20 June 2025 at a secure site in Bundase, Greater Accra, per court directive. Legal proceedings have been adjourned to 24 June after a challenge from defence lawyer Victor Adawudu delayed the submission of lab reports. Fresh samples have since been collected for court review.
Authorities are appealing to the public for information that could lead to the arrest of the newly named suspects in what is now Ghana’s most significant narcotics investigation to date.
