Three remanded over alleged concealment of 869 cocaine slabs in gari

Three individuals have been remanded in custody by an Accra Circuit Court after being accused of concealing 869 slabs of suspected cocaine mixed in bags of gari and cassava powder in Tema. The defendants are Gilano Jorgino Holwin, a Dutch security guard; Alhaji Iddrisu Haruna, a 56-year-old transporter; and John Mensah Sarbah, a 41-year-old clearing agent.

Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, a judge, ordered them into lawful custody when their bail requests were denied. All three have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and unlawful control of narcotic drugs, along with prohibited business related to narcotics.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, representing the prosecution, opposed the bail requests, asserting that the investigation into the case was ongoing. He identified Holwin as a resident of Cantonments, while Haruna and Sarbah are from North Legon and Nungua, respectively. ASP Haligah stated that the complainants, who are police officers stationed at the Tema Regional Criminal Investigations Department, made the arrest based on intelligence gathered.

On August 5, 2026, the complainants intercepted the accused at the Golden Suvineur warehouse in Tema's Main Harbour, where they were allegedly loading white sacks of gari and cassava powder into a DAF truck (registration number WR 1118-10). Upon examination, authorities discovered 869 slabs of what was suspected to be narcotics concealed within the bags.

During questioning, Holwin admitted to owning the drugs and claimed that Haruna and Sarbah were helping him export the substances to London, UK. The prosecution informed the court that the seized items were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis and further investigation.