Drugs cases disgracing Ghana before the world – Catholic Bishops Conference tells Government

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has told the government that the growing perception of Ghana as a drugs trafficking transit point is bringing disgrace to the nation and eroding Ghana’s hard-won international reputation. In a strongly-worded press statement issued on Monday, September 21, 2026, the Bishops warned that the country’s name is being “dragged through the international press for the wrong reasons,” following a string of drug seizures allegedly linked to Ghanaian ports and borders. The immediate trigger was the 10th September, 2026 interception by French customs of 3. 9 tonnes of cocaine worth £225 million, concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana. Four Ghanaians have been arraigned before the Accra High Court, with Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, alias Bolle Jos still at large.

The Bishops said while they respect that the accused are presumed innocent, the sheer scale “places Ghana in the global spotlight for the wrong reason and causes profound national embarrassment. ” The Conference said the interception by French authorities at Dunkirk is not an isolated incident, and quoting a memorandum filed by over 40 MPs to recall Parliament, the Bishops listed a damning trail: – 3. 3 tonnes of cocaine hidden under sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction, Cape Coast – A second major cocaine bust on the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway – Hundreds of parcels of cocaine hidden in sacks of gari at Tema Harbour – A suspicious flight from Gran Canaria allegedly carrying narcotics and cash – Methamphetamine hidden in charcoal and caught in Australia – A vessel released in Ghana after a partial fine, later arrested abroad with drugs “How did such quantities evade detection at our ports and borders? Who financed these operations? Why do prosecutions…