Bishops cite 3.9-tonne Dunkirk cocaine seizure linked to Ghana, demand urgent national action
ACCRA – The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has issued a strong moral call to action against what it describes as an escalating drug menace threatening the moral fabric, security and future of Ghana.
In a press statement titled *“Reclaiming the Soul of Our Nation: A Moral Call to Action against the Escalating Drug Menace in Ghana”*, the Bishops said the drug trade can no longer be treated as a routine criminal matter, but must be seen as a profound moral crisis.
Quoting Proverbs 24:11 – “Rescue those who are being dragged away to death; hold back those staggering towards slaughter” – the Bishops said they could not remain silent as shepherds of the flock.
The Immediate Trigger: Dunkirk Seizure
The statement points to the interception by French customs authorities at Dunkirk on 10 September 2026 of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of €225 million. The drugs were concealed in a container of plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana, part of which was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.
The Bishops noted that four Ghanaians were arraigned before the High Court in Accra on 16 September 2026 in connection with the shipment:
– Desmond Koranteng Curiel, alias “Paul Kweku Yeboah” or “Biggs”
– Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”
– Kweku Otchere
– Jessica Hartog
They face charges of conspiracy to export narcotic drugs without a licence and exportation of narcotic drugs, and were remanded to reappear on 13 October 2026. A fifth accused, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, alias “Bolle Jos”, is reported to be at large.
The GCBC said it respects the judicial process and that the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but described the scale of the alleged shipment as deeply disturbing.
It commended the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and urged continued cooperation with French authorities.
The Conference also commended the President for forming an inter-agency task force to tackle narcotics trafficking through ports, airports and borders.
A Wider National Crisis
According to the Bishops, the Dunkirk seizure is one episode in a wider pattern.
The statement references a memorandum dated 18 September 2026, in which more than forty Members of Parliament, invoking Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders, petitioned the Speaker to recall Parliament from recess.
The MPs’ memorandum places the Dunkirk case within a pattern of incidents dating from March 2025, including:
– A 3.3-tonne cocaine haul hidden under sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction, Cape Coast
– Another cocaine consignment intercepted on the Takoradi–Cape Coast highway
– Hundreds of parcels of suspected cocaine found in sacks of gari at a Tema Harbour warehouse
– An unresolved case involving a flight from Gran Canaria alleged to have carried narcotics and undeclared currency
– A vessel released after payment of a partial fine and later arrested abroad with narcotics
– Methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment, intercepted by Australian customs
The signatories estimate that high-profile seizures linked to Ghana over the past two years exceed US$1 billion in value.
NACOC, the statement notes, reports that intelligence-led operations resulted in 217 arrests and 165 prosecutions, with more than 8.5 tonnes of assorted narcotic drugs and 45.4 million tramadol tablets intercepted.
The Bishops expressed concern about domestic drug abuse among young people, the corrosive effect of drug money on institutions, and the March 2026 arrest by the Ghana Revenue Authority of nine public officers over a large consignment of undeclared tramadol at Tema Port – including five Customs officers and personnel from NACOC, Port Security, the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority.
The GCBC lamented what it called a pattern where couriers are prosecuted while financiers and principal traffickers remain unidentified, citing the Pedu Junction case where more than a year after the seizure, only the driver, a housemaid and a few peripheral suspects have been arraigned.
Moral and Pastoral Reflection
“The drug trade is, at root, a moral evil because it exploits human vulnerability, damages human health and dignity, and places profit above persons,” the Bishops stated.
Citing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and the Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 2291, the Conference said drug use except on strictly therapeutic grounds is a grave offence, and that clandestine production and trafficking constitute direct cooperation in evil.
Appeal to Government and Parliament
The GCBC appealed to Government to treat the fight against narcotics as an urgent national concern, with a coordinated strategy involving the Police Service, NACOC, Customs, port authorities, the judiciary and schools.
Their demands include:
– Timely prosecution respecting constitutional rights and judicial independence
– Properly equipping ports, airports and borders to detect illicit consignments
– Stronger cooperation with INTERPOL and Europol
– Following the money to identify networks, businesses and financial arrangements
– Investigating every public official reasonably suspected of complicity, regardless of rank
– Strengthening prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes
The Bishops welcomed Parliament’s oversight move to summon the Ministers for the Interior, Transport and National Security, together with NACOC, GPHA, GRA, Ghana Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau, to account for scanning, surveillance and clearance procedures.
“This is a legitimate and necessary step. We urge that any sitting proceed without delay, with the sobriety proper to a matter of this gravity rather than partisan point-scoring,” the statement said.
Call to Church, Family and Youth.
The Conference said the battle cannot be left to Government alone. It called on Catholic parishes, schools and youth organisations to intensify drug-prevention education and pastoral accompaniment, and urged parents to stay close to their children.
“To our young people we say plainly: do not be deceived by the temporary gains promised by the drug trade. Choose life. Build your future upon honest work, faith, education, virtue and service.”
The statement offered prayers for families affected by addiction, for those involved in the trade to repent, for those struggling with addiction to find help, and for judges, investigators and law-enforcement officers to act with courage and integrity.
In conclusion, the Bishops said: “The Dunkirk seizure, the narcotics intercepted in Ghana, the Tema Port arrests and the parliamentary scrutiny now sought should strengthen our national resolve. The response must be firm and lawful, but also preventive, rehabilitative and rooted in respect for human dignity.”
They entrusted the national struggle to Mary, Queen of Ghana, quoting John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
