Ghana Navy Seizes 4.8 Tonnes of Marijuana Destined for Nigeria in Major Volta Lake Bust

The Ghana Navy intercepted two wooden boats carrying 117 sacks of suspected marijuana with an estimated street value exceeding US$1 million on the Volta Lake estuary at Ada, thwarting what intelligence indicated was a consignment bound for Nigeria.

The operation, conducted by the Navy's Riverine Command at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026, saw suspects abandon the vessels and flee upon sighting naval personnel approaching. The boats were found concealed along the riverbank near the estuary, some 200 metres from Dalave village .

The seizure, weighing approximately 4.8 tonnes, is believed to be the largest marijuana interception by the Navy in recent memory, eclipsing a July operation in which about 60 sacks were recovered .

Search Conducted with NACOC

The abandoned boats were moved to Ada Foah, where they were searched at about 5 a.m. in the presence of officials from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC). Each of the 117 sacks contained roughly 80 packs of the suspected narcotic, according to Naval Captain Festus Osei-Brobbey, Director of Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters, who addressed a press conference on Thursday .

The substances have been handed over to NACOC for laboratory examination as investigations continue. No arrests have been made so far .

Warning to Traffickers

Osei-Brobbey described the operation as part of the Navy's commitment to combating illicit activities within Ghana's maritime domain, aligning with President John Dramani Mahama's zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking. He issued a direct warning to financiers, sponsors and organisers of drug networks.

"The Ghana Navy will continue to intensify its surveillance and monitoring efforts to identify, track and disrupt these networks in collaboration with all other stakeholders," he said .

The Director of Naval Operations also appealed to the public to provide credible and actionable information to support security operations, commending community members whose tip-offs contributed to the interception .

Ada's Geographic Vulnerability

Kenneth Kofi Kabu Kanor, Municipal Chief Executive for Ada East and Chairman of the District Security Committee, expressed concern about the growing challenge of drug abuse and its impact on families. He noted that Ada's geography—with its river and sea connections—made strengthened surveillance critical to prevent waterways from being exploited for illegal activity .

Kanor called for stronger collaboration between the district assembly, security agencies and central government, and urged residents to report suspicious movements .

A Pattern of Waterway Trafficking

The Ada interception adds to a series of drug seizures along the Volta Lake corridor in 2026. On March 27, the Navy's Special Boat Squadron recovered 37 sacks containing approximately 2,590 parcels of suspected cannabis from a canoe off Goi Beach, south of Sege. On September 17, Marine Police at Ada intercepted another canoe at Tuanikopey Island carrying 29 sacks with 2,213 slabs of suspected Indian hemp. In both cases, occupants fled .

The Volta Region has also recorded significant cannabis-related operations, including a May 31 NACOC seizure of 2,372 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis valued at more than GH¢1.18 million from a farmhouse near Hohoe, and the dismantling of a production hub at Koleonu in June .

Under the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), cannabis remains prohibited for recreational use in Ghana, though licensed cultivation for industrial and medicinal purposes is permitted under strict conditions, including a THC limit of 0.3 per cent .

NACOC has previously identified the Volta Region as a major cannabis cultivation area, with much of the product intended for export to Nigeria and other countries rather than domestic consumption . Thursday's seizure appears to fit that pattern—a consignment moving through Ghana's waterways toward the Gulf of Guinea and onward to West African markets.