An Accra Circuit Court has remanded three persons into lawful custody over the alleged concealment of 866 slabs of substances suspected to be cocaine in bags of gari and cassava powder at the Tema Main Harbour.
The accused persons are Delano Owen, 31, a Dutch national; John Mensah Sarbah, 41, a clearing agent; and Alhaji Iddrisu Haruna, 52, a transporter.
They have been charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful control of narcotic drugs, unlawful control of narcotic drugs, and prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs.
The three accused pleaded not guilty to all charges when they appeared before the court, presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah
Lawyers for the accused persons applied for bail, but the prosecution opposed the applications.
The court subsequently refused the bail applications and remanded the three accused persons into lawful custody.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, who led the prosecution, told the court that investigations into the case were still ongoing.
He urged the court to take into consideration the nature of the charges and the stage of investigations in determining the bail applications.
According to the prosecution, police officers stationed at the Tema Regional Criminal Investigations Department received intelligence regarding suspected narcotic drug activities on August 5, 2026.
At about 7:30 p.m., the officers proceeded to the Golden Suvineur warehouse at the Tema Main Harbour, where they arrested the three accused persons.
The prosecution told the court that the suspects were allegedly loading white sacks containing gari and cassava powder from the warehouse into a DAF truck with registration number WR 1118-10.
A search of the bags allegedly revealed 866 slabs of substances suspected to be narcotics concealed among the food products.
The prosecution further told the court that during interrogation, Owen allegedly admitted ownership of the substances.
According to ASP Haligah, Owen allegedly told investigators that Sarbah and Haruna were assisting him to export the suspected narcotics to London in the United Kingdom.
The prosecution’s account is an allegation before the court, and the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The suspected narcotic substances have since been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.
A formal laboratory report is expected to assist investigators in determining the nature and composition of the substances.
ASP Haligah told the court that investigations were continuing.
The court subsequently remanded all three accused persons into lawful custody as police investigations continue.
