Four individuals have been hauled before an Accra High Court over their alleged involvement in the unlawful importation of cannabis sativa, which was reportedly hidden inside a gift package.
Those named in the case include Godfred Mishiame, identified as a motorbike rider, along with Zion Sam Kish, Prince Sefa Boakye, and Dennis Smith, who are currently evading arrest.
The accused persons are facing charges of conspiracy and unauthorised importation of narcotic substances, having allegedly brought drugs into the country without the required approval from the Minister of Health.
In addition to these charges, Mishiame is standing trial on four separate counts of possession of narcotic drugs with intent to traffic, contrary to law.
Prosecutors allege that a quantity of cocaine was found in Mishiame’s possession following a search conducted at his residence.
He has entered a plea of not guilty to all counts. The court subsequently granted him bail in the amount of GH¢100,000, subject to three sureties, two of whom must be justified.
The court further ordered that one of the sureties must be a public sector employee earning a minimum monthly salary of GH¢30,000.
Both the prosecution and the defence were directed to complete pre-trial disclosures by January 12, 2026, with the accused also required to submit the list of witnesses he intends to rely on by the same deadline.
According to the prosecution, officers of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) stationed at the Ghana Post Office in Accra intercepted an inbound EMS package on August 4, 2025, during a routine inspection, after suspecting it contained illicit substances.
The consignment, which had been declared as containing assorted clothing items, was isolated for further examination.
On August 5, NACOC officials, acting on intelligence, arrested a clearing agent, Joshua Mills, who was found with the tracking number and clearance authorization for the parcel.
Mills informed investigators that he had been assigned to process the clearance of the package. The parcel was subsequently opened in his presence and found to contain five vacuum-sealed substances resembling plant material.
A preliminary field test conducted on the contents returned a positive result for Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a controlled narcotic substance.
Further inquiries revealed that Mills had been engaged by Zion Sam Kish, the second accused, to clear the shipment and deliver it to Esther Naa Dede Armah, who was staying at a hostel in Haatso.
Mills, however, maintained that he was unaware of the contents of the package and cooperated fully with investigators.
The court was told that Esther, during questioning, disclosed that she had been directed by Kish to receive the parcel on his behalf, pending collection by a courier. She also denied any knowledge of the parcel’s contents and assisted with the investigation.
Later that same day, Mishiame reportedly arrived at the location on a motorbike to take possession of the package. He was arrested after opening the parcel and acknowledging its contents.
Prosecutors further alleged that, at the time of his arrest, Mishiame sent a message to Kish, warning him of the presence of law enforcement officers.
On August 7, a follow-up search at Mishiame’s residence allegedly uncovered 11 labelled packets of suspected cannabis, 30 wraps of plant-like substances, and one sachet of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine.
Officers also retrieved 42 empty Benylin bottles containing codeine-based syrup, a digital weighing scale, packaging materials, and other items believed to be drug-related.
In addition, a Royal motorbike and GH¢864 in cash were seized during the operation.
Mishiame has denied ownership of all the substances recovered.
The seized items were later sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for laboratory analysis.
Test results confirmed that the plant materials were cannabis sativa, with a combined net weight of 1,218.29 grammes, while the white substance was confirmed to be cocaine, weighing 0.52 grammes.
