NACOC charges 5 persons over 320kg methamphetamine shipment concealed in charcoal to Australia

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has charged five Ghanaians at the Accra High Court for the alleged export of 320 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed within a shipment of coconut charcoal destined for Australia. The case stems from the seizure of narcotics by Australian authorities at Port Botany in Sydney after the shipment, declared as coconut charcoal, underwent examination.

Prosecutors claim the street value of the illicit substance was approximately $208 million. Australian investigators corroborated the seizure, stating that 320 kilograms of methamphetamine were discovered in two containers that arrived from Ghana. The Australian Federal Police reported an estimated street value of A$296 million for the shipment.

The accused individuals include Mercy Nelly Nyadzi, a 58-year-old freight forwarder and owner of Freight Plus Ghana Ltd., Collins Yaw Antwi, another freight forwarder, and James Donkor, a Customs officer. Two other suspects, James Osei Frimpong, known as Bro Yaw, and Frank, remain at large. The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired to export the narcotic substance from Ghana to Australia.

They face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically the exportation of narcotic drugs without a license, abetting the exportation of narcotic drugs without a license, possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, and exportation of narcotic drugs without a license from the Minister of Health. The investigation began after NACOC received intelligence from the Australian Border Force about the seizure at Port Botany.

The containers arrived from Tema Port around December 20, 2025, on the vessel MSC VIGO, bound for Sydney. Authorities identified Freight Plus Ghana Ltd. as the shipper. Investigators arrested Nyadzi at her home in Tema and Antwi in Kpone. Donkor was apprehended at the NACOC headquarters. A prosecution brief alleges that Bro Yaw contracted Nyadzi to export coconut shell charcoal to Australia, procuring the charcoal in Pantang and Katamanso.

Frank allegedly facilitated the procurement and loading of the containers. Donkor, a Customs Export Examination Officer, reportedly conducted a non-intrusive examination of both containers before authorizing their release. However, investigators claim inconsistencies in his account, such as preparing an inspection report for only the 20-foot container and omitting the 40-foot container's report.

Donkor also allegedly failed to provide photographs required in his duties, claiming they were unavailable. Nyadzi enlisted the help of Collins Antwi to secure the necessary permit for the charcoal's export, despite Freight Plus Ghana Ltd. being unregistered and unlicensed for such exports. The prosecution alleges that the shipment was funded by Bro Yaw, who made payments on Nyadzi's behalf.

This case follows a major Australian operation where border officers detected anomalies in the containers, later confirmed as methamphetamine through X-ray screening and forensic testing. Several individuals, including a British woman and an Australian couple, have been charged with the alleged importation. NACOC launched its own investigation, collaborating with Ghanaian security agencies and international partners to apprehend individuals connected to the shipment.