The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested and remanded a manager of a popular packaged food brand for allegedly attempting to smuggle illicit substances out of Ghana.
Speaking in an interview with Saddick Adams on Angel TV on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, NACOC Deputy Director Twum-Barimah, Esq., disclosed that the suspect was apprehended at the Kotoka International Airport following weeks of surveillance.
According to him, the suspect allegedly concealed the illicit substances in a consignment of packaged gari (dried cassava flakes) intended for export.
“We tracked his operations for some time and arrested him at the airport before he could transport the items abroad,” Twum-Barimah said.
Another individual has also been taken into custody in connection with the case. The management of the food packaging brand whose products were allegedly used has been invited to NACOC headquarters to assist with investigations.
Despite persistent questioning during the Angel TV interview, Twum-Barimah declined to name the brand involved, stating only that it is “hugely popular and widely used by Ghanaians daily.”
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However, in a separate interview with veteran broadcaster Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Ghana the same day, the NACOC Deputy Director sought to clarify growing speculation on social media linking certain companies and individuals to the case.
He distanced both NACOC and the implicated brands from online rumours, explaining that the arrested suspect had allegedly been using about four different products from various Ghanaian brands to conceal and transport the illicit substances on different occasions.
Twum-Barimah stressed that the companies whose products were used were not directly involved in the alleged criminal activities.
“Our investigations so far show that the individuals arrested are not connected to or managers of any of the packaged food companies whose products were used,” he clarified.
He further revealed that a female accomplice has also been arrested and that the suspects reportedly had machinery in Ghana to facilitate their operations.
The Deputy Director also explained that NACOC deliberately chose not to publicly disclose the names of the food brands to avoid damaging reputations while investigations are ongoing.
Twum-Barimah recounted similar seizures in recent years, including cases involving foreign nationals such as a Lebanese suspect, to highlight the commission’s continued efforts to clamp down on drug trafficking networks.
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