The Ghana Navy has intercepted two boats carrying 117 sacks of suspected marijuana, with an estimated street value of more than US$1 million, in an op
The Ghana Navy has intercepted two boats carrying 117 sacks of suspected marijuana, with an estimated street value of more than US$1 million, in an operation at the Volta Lake estuary in Ada, Greater Accra Region.
The intelligence-led action was carried out by the Riverine Command of the Ghana Navy at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026. It stopped the suspected consignment from being taken out of Ghana by sea.
Naval personnel found the two large wooden boats hidden along the riverbank near the estuary. The occupants were preparing to transport the substances to Nigeria but fled and abandoned the boats after seeing the approaching patrol team.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the Director of Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters, Naval Captain Festus Osei-Brobbey, said those involved escaped when they noticed the naval officers.
The boats were taken to Ada Foah, where a search began at about 5 a.m. in the presence of officials from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
That search uncovered 117 sacks, each containing approximately 80 packs of suspected marijuana. The total weight of the consignment was estimated at 4.8 tons.
Naval Captain Osei-Brobbey said the substances had been handed over to NACOC for the required laboratory examination.
Navy warns drug-trafficking networks
He described the seizure as potentially the Ghana Navy’s biggest marijuana interception in recent times. He compared it with an operation in July in which about 60 sacks of suspected marijuana were seized.
The operation, he said, reflected the Navy’s continuing efforts to stop illegal activity in Ghana’s maritime domain and support President John Dramani Mahama’s zero-tolerance position on drug trafficking.
He added that the seizure contributed to wider national efforts to tighten border security, strengthen cooperation between agencies and prevent Ghana from being used as a transit route for illegal substances.
Naval Captain Osei-Brobbey warned financiers, sponsors, organisers and others involved in drug trafficking that surveillance and monitoring would be intensified across the country’s maritime corridors.
He said the Navy would continue working with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders to protect Ghana’s territorial waters from drug trafficking and other illegal activities. He also urged members of the public to provide credible and actionable information to assist security agencies.
Ada East authorities call for stronger surveillance
Kenneth Kofi Kabu Kanor, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ada East, said he was concerned about the growing problem of drug abuse and its effect on families and communities.
He said Ada’s location, with connections to both rivers and the sea, made it essential for authorities to improve surveillance and stop the waterways being used for illegal purposes.
Mr Kanor called for closer cooperation between the district assembly, security agencies and the central government to combat drug trafficking and other unlawful activities.
He also emphasised the need to protect the area’s waterways and ensure its natural resources were used responsibly, saying the fight against illicit trade required a collective commitment.
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