Rider charged over cannabis gift-box import as three suspects go on the run

A motor rider has appeared before an Accra High Court over an alleged plot to import cannabis sativa concealed in a gift box, while three alleged accomplices remain at large.

Godfred Mishiame is standing trial alongside three others — Zion Sam Kish, Prince Sefa Boakye and Dennis Smith — who are currently on the run.

All four have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and importation of narcotic drugs without a licence from the Minister of Health.

Mishiame is additionally facing four counts of possession of narcotic drugs for trafficking without lawful authority, after investigators say they later discovered quantities of cannabis and cocaine at his home. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The court granted Mishiame GH¢100,000 bail with three sureties, two of whom must be justified. One surety must be a public servant earning at least GH¢30,000.

The prosecution has been ordered to file its disclosures by 12 January 2026, with Mishiame required to file the names of his witnesses by the same date.

Prosecutors told the court that on 4 August 2025, officers of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) stationed at the Ghana Post Office in Accra intercepted an inbound EMS parcel during routine checks.

The package, which had been declared as containing “varied clothing”, raised suspicion and was detained for further examination.

On 5 August, NACOC officers arrested Joshua Mills, a clearing agent, who was found holding the parcel’s tracking number and an authority note. Mills allegedly admitted he had been instructed to clear the shipment but denied knowing what it contained.

The parcel was opened in his presence and found to contain five vacuum-sealed plant materials. A field test confirmed the substance as Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component of cannabis.

Further inquiries, the prosecution said, showed that Mills had been engaged by Zion Sam Kish, the second accused, to clear the parcel and forward it to Esther Naa Dede Armah at a hostel in Haatso.

Mills maintained he had no knowledge of the drugs and continued to assist investigators.

When questioned, Esther allegedly told officers that Kish had instructed her to receive the parcel, which would then be collected by a delivery rider. She also denied knowing the contents and cooperated with the investigation.

Later that day, Mishiame arrived at the hostel on a motorbike to pick up the parcel. He was arrested after opening it and confirming the contents.

Prosecutors say that during his arrest, he sent a message to Kish, warning him about the presence of NACOC officers.

A follow-up search at Mishiame’s residence on 7 August is said to have uncovered:

11 branded packets of plant material suspected to be cannabis

30 wraps of plant-like material

One packet of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine

42 empty Benylin bottles believed to have contained codeine-based syrup

A weighing scale, packaging materials and other drug paraphernalia

A Royal motorbike

GH¢864 in cash

Mishiame has denied ownership of the narcotics and related items.

The seized substances were sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for laboratory analysis. Tests confirmed that the plant materials were cannabis sativa with a total net weight of 1,218.29 grammes, while the whitish substance tested positive for cocaine, with a net weight of 0.52 grammes.

The three other accused persons — Kish, Boakye and Smith — remain at large as the case proceeds.