NACOC clarifies arrests in Airport Cocaine bust, denies involvement of food company managers

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has refuted media reports suggesting that a senior manager of a manufacturing company was arrested in connection with a recent cocaine smuggling attempt at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

In the early hours of February 11, 2026, reports emerged claiming that NACOC operatives had apprehended a senior manager for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine concealed in food products out of the country.

However, Deputy Director-General of NACOC, Alexander Twum-Barimah, has dismissed those claims, stating that the suspects arrested have no affiliation with any of the food manufacturing companies whose products were used in the concealment.

Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on February 11, 2026, Twum-Barimah clarified the Commission’s findings so far.

“The persons arrested are not managers or staff of any popular food manufacturing company. From where our investigations have reached, they are not linked to these companies in any way,” he said.

According to Twum-Barimah, NACOC has identified at least four different food products used in separate cocaine smuggling attempts over the years.

He explained that one of the major incidents involved approximately 250 kilograms of cocaine intercepted in the Netherlands after being shipped from Ghana concealed in branded food products.

He emphasized that NACOC deliberately avoided naming the companies involved in the packaging process in order to protect their corporate integrity, as investigations indicate they were not complicit.

“The second incident occurred in 2025 at the cargo section of Kotoka International Airport, where cocaine was again mixed with food products. When we intercepted it, no individual was present, so we seized the items and began investigations. That particular batch contained about 3kg of cocaine, which we sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for testing. It was confirmed to be cocaine,” he added.
Twum-Barimah said the recurrence of similar concealment methods prompted NACOC to intensify surveillance to determine whether there was a pattern.

He disclosed that in 2022, officers had intercepted another attempt involving a different food product mixed with cocaine. In those cases, portions of the packaging contained genuine food items, while other sections concealed narcotics.
“So we decided to investigate deeper. Through CCTV footage and further work, we were able to arrest a suspect when he attempted to repeat the act for the third time, this time using yet another product. That batch contained 1.05kg of cocaine. We also arrested a female suspect and discovered they had machines they were using for these activities,” he said.

When asked whether the previous incidents, including the 250kg seizure in the Netherlands, involved the same manufacturing company, Twum-Barimah clarified that multiple brands had been exploited.

“No. Three different brands were involved. The fourth case was not really tied to any brand. In the 250kg case in the Netherlands, a particular company’s food product was used to conceal the cocaine in the container. The arrangement had the food products at the outer layers and the cocaine hidden within. The same pattern was used in the Kotoka case, where food products from various companies were used as part of the concealment,” he explained.

NACOC says investigations are ongoing as authorities work to dismantle the network behind the smuggling attempts.