The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), in a joint operation, have destroyed 3.3 tonnes of cocaine worth over $350 million, after seizing it from a tipper truck in Cape Coast en route to Accra.

An Accra High Court ordered the destruction of the consignment on June 20, 2025.

The operation has been confirmed as the largest cocaine bust in Ghana’s history. The drugs were concealed in a tipper truck impounded at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, Central Region, while it was heading to Accra from the Western Region.

The cocaine, hidden in 143 sacks beneath heaps of sand, was initially seized on March 4, 2025, weighing 2,974 kilograms.

Subsequent intelligence-led operations on March 8 led NIB officers to a suspect’s residence, where an additional 13 sacks and one bag, totaling 345.07 kilograms, were recovered.

According to a report by Graphic Online, laboratory tests conducted by NACOC and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) confirmed the substance as high-purity cocaine, with purity levels ranging from 50% to 70%.

A presumptive cobalt thiocyanate test was conducted on June 4, in the presence of trial judge Justice Ruby Aryeetey, state and defence attorneys, as well as personnel from the NIB and NACOC.

The test, which involved random sampling from three of the 2,970 slabs, confirmed the substance as cocaine.

The court’s order for inspection, testing, and destruction paved the way for the disposal of the seized cocaine, with samples retained for the ongoing trial, which has been adjourned to June 24, 2025.

Three suspects are currently standing trial for allegedly importing narcotic drugs without lawful authority and engaging in a prohibited narcotic business.

They include the tipper truck driver, Isaac Quaicoo (39); his mate, Kenneth Cobbinah (25), a tertiary student; and Mawuku Kudufia.

The moment the $350m worth of cocaine intercepted in Ghana was set ablaze at a security zone in Accra.#GraphicOnline pic.twitter.com/2rOaLAvIOP

— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) June 20, 2025