The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has declared three more individuals – Kelian Julien Mensah, Jefflean Kwadjo Ntow, and Charles Hagan – wanted in connection with Ghana’s largest drug bust this year.
This follows the testing of over three tonnes of suspected cocaine at the NIB headquarters in Ridge, Accra, in line with a court order issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey.
The substances, intercepted in March at Pedu Junction in the Central Region, were hidden under sand in a tipper truck en route to Accra.
Field testing using the Cobalt Thiocyanate reagent turned blue, indicating a presumptive positive result for cocaine. Subsequent laboratory analyses conducted by the Ghana Standards Authority — including High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) — confirmed the substance as cocaine hydrochloride.
With confirmation now out of the way, the NIB can proceed with destroying the narcotic exhibits, as ordered by the court.
During Wednesday’s session, however, an attempt by the State Attorney to tender in the laboratory results from the GSA through a lab technician was challenged.
Lead defence counsel Victor Adawudu objected, arguing that the Case Management Conference (CMC) had not been completed, and therefore, tendering such evidence was premature. The court upheld the objection.
The remaining exhibits, valued at over $350 million, will be destroyed at Bundase in the Greater Accra Region on June 20, 2025.
The case itself has been adjourned to June 24, with additional samples collected in the presence of all parties for trial.
Meanwhile, the NIB says a manhunt is actively underway to locate and arrest the three newly named suspects.
