Spanish authorities have intercepted 2.6 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a shipment of coconuts exported from Ghana, adding to a growing list of major overseas drug seizures involving consignments traced to the country’s ports.
The drugs were discovered in two shipping containers loaded at the Tema Port and intercepted at the Port of Valencia, with two men subsequently arrested in connection with the consignment in the Spanish province of Almería.
According to Spain’s Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil, the containers were loaded at Tema on August 2, 2026, and arrived in Valencia 20 days later.
Customs officials and the Guardia Civil selected the containers for inspection after identifying them as high-risk consignments during routine monitoring of international cargo.
A search uncovered packages of cocaine concealed beneath false bottoms fitted into the wooden crates used to transport the coconuts. Tests subsequently confirmed that the white powder was cocaine.
Rather than conclude the operation at the port, investigators removed the drugs but left the containers sealed to monitor the consignment and identify those expected to take delivery.
Their surveillance led them to two refrigerated trucks that arrived to collect the containers. Officers followed the vehicles to a warehouse at the La Juaida industrial estate in Almería.
Two men were arrested as the cargo was being unloaded. They were identified as the suspected importer of the drugs and the individual responsible for supervising the unloading.
The operation was jointly conducted by Spain’s Customs Surveillance Service and the Guardia Civil. Details of the seizure were announced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Another major drug seizure linked to Ghana
The Spanish interception adds to a series of significant drug seizures overseas involving shipments originating from Ghana, raising further concerns about the exploitation of the country’s ports by international trafficking networks.
In September 2026, French customs officials seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana at the Port of Dunkirk.
The consignment was estimated to be worth approximately €225 million, equivalent to about US$261 million.
The discovery prompted investigations in Ghana, with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announcing the arrest of three suspects. Several other individuals were subsequently arrested and put before the courts over their alleged involvement in the shipment.
The case also drew attention to the handling and scanning of export containers at the Tema Port, following reported concerns about irregularities identified in scan images before the consignment was cleared for shipment.
In another incident, a Syrian national was arrested at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on October 31, 2026, after arriving from Accra with approximately 40 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine concealed in two pieces of luggage.
NACOC confirmed the arrest and said it was working with Lebanese authorities to identify and apprehend alleged accomplices in Ghana.
The latest cases follow several major interceptions involving Ghanaian shipments in Europe in 2025.
In November 2025, Belgian authorities discovered 2,829 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a consignment of cassava flour shipped from Tema to Antwerp.
A month later, another 1,158 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine from Ghana was intercepted at the same Belgian port.
Earlier, in June 2025, Dutch customs officials seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a timber shipment from Tema at the Port of Amsterdam. The interception was reported as the largest cocaine seizure in the port’s history at the time.
The trafficking concerns have also extended beyond cocaine. In June 2026, Australian authorities announced the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment from Ghana.
Ghana’s growing exposure in international drug seizures
The repeated interceptions have intensified concerns about Ghana’s exposure to international drug trafficking and the use of legitimate commercial exports as cover for moving narcotics across borders.
Figures from Belgian customs, reported in September 2026, ranked Ghana as the fifth-largest country of origin for cocaine consignments seized at the Port of Antwerp in 2025.
Ghana was the only African country among the five leading countries on the list.
The classification, however, refers to the country from which the consignments were shipped and does not necessarily mean the cocaine was produced in Ghana. The drugs were believed to have originated from South America and were concealed in legitimate export cargo.
Separately, figures compiled from reported narcotics interceptions have identified 28 drug-related cases linked to Ghana since January 2025, including 11 involving cocaine. The cocaine seizures for which weights have been published amount to approximately 15.8 tonnes.
The September 2026 seizure in France also prompted President John Dramani Mahama to convene a meeting with security chiefs and direct the establishment of an inter-agency task force to review the country’s systems for detecting narcotics at ports and borders.
The task force was expected to strengthen coordination among security agencies and address weaknesses in the monitoring of cargo movements and the detection of illicit substances.
The latest Spanish operation adds to the scrutiny facing Ghana’s maritime security arrangements, particularly the screening of export containers, intelligence-sharing among security agencies and international cooperation in tackling drug trafficking networks.
With another multi-tonne cocaine consignment traced to Tema now intercepted in Europe, questions remain about how international trafficking networks continue to exploit legitimate cargo shipments to move illicit substances through Ghana’s trade routes.
