45 tonnes of cocaine were brought in by two Gulfstream jets in 2023 under Akufo-Addo govt – Agalga

Majority Leader James Agalga

Majority Leader James Agalga has pointed to a 2023 incident involving two Gulfstream jets allegedly used to transport 45 tonnes of cocaine into Ghana, saying the case highlights the scale of the country’s drug trafficking challenges under the previous Akufo-Addo's administration.

Agalga cited the incident while responding to criticism over the number of drug seizures recorded since the Mahama administration assumed office.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express with Evans Mensah, he argued that drug trafficking was not a new challenge for Ghana and maintained that the current government should not be solely blamed for international drug interceptions involving the country.

According to him, the two aircraft brought cocaine into Ghana and discharged their consignments before the entire crew escaped arrest.

“The most worrying cocaine-related incident that happened in this country in 2023 was the importation of 45 tons of cocaine by two Gulfstream jets,” he said.

“Those Gulfstream jets actually discharged the cocaine. The entire crew managed to escape. As we speak, those jets are grounded at the Air Force base. No single soul was caught,” he added.

His comments followed questions from Mensah, who challenged him to account for several high-profile international drug interceptions involving substances that originated from or passed through Ghana.

Agalga also cited other cases recorded in 2024, including the seizure of 13.76 tonnes of heroin allegedly brought into Ghana from Thailand by a South African and a Nigerian national.

He further recalled the interception of 166 kilogrammes of cocaine at Kotoka International Airport in June 2024, involving 2 British nationals, and a separate seizure of 76 kilogrammes at a DHL facility at the airport in July of the same year.