The Narcotics Control Commission, NACOC, has moved to clear several popular food brands after the arrest of three people in connection with a large cocaine shipment, saying the suspects have no ties to the companies whose products were used to conceal the drugs.
The clarification comes after early media reports on February 11, 2026 suggested that a senior manager of a manufacturing company had been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine out of the country through Kotoka International Airport.
Speaking to TV3’s, Deputy Director General of NACOC, Alexander Twum Barimah, said investigations so far show that the individuals arrested are neither managers nor staff of any of the companies whose products were used in the concealment.
“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 NACOC, the suspects used well known packaged food products as cover, mixing genuine food items with concealed narcotics in a calculated attempt to avoid detection. In some instances, the outer layers of the consignment contained legitimate products, while cocaine was hidden within.
The latest arrests are linked to a suspected 1,158 kilogram shipment of cocaine destined for Belgium. NACOC officials say similar concealment methods have been detected in previous cases.
Twum Barimah disclosed that in one earlier incident, about 250 kilograms of cocaine shipped from Ghana was intercepted in the Netherlands after being hidden among branded food products.
In 2025, officers at the cargo section of Kotoka International Airport seized another consignment in which about 3 kilograms of cocaine had been mixed with food items. Laboratory tests by the Ghana Standards Authority confirmed the substance to be cocaine.
He also recalled a 2022 case involving a different food product used in a similar manner.
“In all these cases, part of the packaging contained genuine food products, while other portions concealed the narcotics,” he explained.
After detecting what appeared to be a pattern, NACOC intensified surveillance. Through CCTV footage and further investigations, officers arrested a suspect who allegedly attempted to repeat the act using yet another product. That batch contained about 1.05 kilograms of cocaine. A female suspect was also arrested, and investigators recovered machines believed to have been used to alter packaging for the concealment.
Twum Barimah stressed that three different brands were involved across the various cases, and a fourth instance was not tied to any particular brand. He said the Commission deliberately chose not to name the companies in order to protect their corporate integrity, since they were not complicit in the crimes.
Meanwhile, earlier reports indicated that one of the suspects arrested at Kotoka International Airport is believed to be in charge of production at a manufacturing firm. Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the network and whether more people are involved.
NACOC has assured the public that it remains vigilant at the country’s ports and borders, and will continue to dismantle attempts to use legitimate businesses as cover for international drug trafficking.
