Four Accused in KIA Cocaine Bust Granted GHC52 Million Bail

A court has granted bail totaling GHC52 million to four individuals charged in connection with a recent cocaine bust at the Swissport terminal of Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Each suspect was granted bail of GHC13 million with four sureties.

As part of the bail conditions, the accused must report to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) twice weekly. They have also been added to a no-fly list, and their biodata has been forwarded to the Passport Office to prevent them from acquiring new travel documents.

The accused include Gariba Soli, an artefact dealer at the Arts Centre, along with three freight forwarders: Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampfo Anti. They were arrested for allegedly attempting to export 73 slabs of cocaine disguised as artefacts without a license.

The charges against them include:

• Attempting to export narcotic substances without a license
• Conspiracy to commit a crime
• Possession of narcotic substances without a license

According to the prosecution, NACOC officials discovered the cocaine during a routine inspection at the terminal. The drugs were hidden in three wooden boxes falsely labeled as artefacts.

During interrogation, Gariba Soli claimed he had been contracted by a man known only as Kevin to ship artefacts to the Netherlands. He maintained that he was unaware the boxes contained drugs and only learned of the issue during an inspection on April 23.