A group of men from southeast England has been found guilty of smuggling 1.5 tonnes of cannabis from Ghana to the UK, hidden within sacks of Gari powder. Their convictions follow an extensive investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which culminated in the discovery of the substantial drug haul inside a shipping container at Tilbury Docks, Essex.
The individuals involved—Daniel Yeboah, 54, Kristoffen Baidoo, 48, Kwaku Bonsu, 52, all from London, and Edward Adjei, 48, from Grays—were convicted by a jury after a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court on 3 September. Notably, Baidoo was tried and found guilty in absentia after failing to appear in court. All four men are scheduled to be sentenced on 18 October.
The shipping container in question arrived at Tilbury Docks from Ghana on 19 December 2019 and was held before being set to continue its journey to London. Intelligence gathered by the NCA, in collaboration with the Ghanaian Narcotics Control Commission, raised suspicions that the container contained illicit drugs.
Upon inspection, officers uncovered 2,335 packages of herbal cannabis concealed within white hessian sacks of Gari powder. The NCA estimates that the street value of the seized drugs would have been approximately £4.3 million.
Following the seizure, officers replaced the cannabis with dummy packages. On the morning of 13 January 2020, the container was transported from Tilbury Docks to an industrial yard in north London, under constant surveillance by NCA officers. Yeboah signed the delivery note using a false signature, while a worker at the yard removed the container seal using an angle grinder.
Bonsu was seen circling the industrial yard in his car, taking photographs of the container, while Adjei was spotted dropping Baidoo off at the location. Realizing that the drugs were missing, the group fled the site in different vehicles shortly after the container was opened.
As they left the area, NCA officers were in pursuit, leading to the arrests of Yeboah and Adjei in Homerton, Baidoo in Stratford, and Bonsu in Edmonton later that day. At Baidoo’s residence, officers discovered a 10-tonne hydraulic press commonly used for compressing drugs, along with various devices, including mobile phones and dash cams from their vehicles.
Analysis of footage obtained from Adjei’s dash cam revealed conversations with Baidoo and Yeboah shortly after the container’s arrival at the yard. In one call, Yeboah expressed concern about the situation, stating, “my brother, be a little watchful. It is all a little dodgy.” Later communications indicated he suspected the drugs had been removed, referring to the situation as involving “thieves.”
Text messages and emails retrieved from Baidoo’s mobile phone outlined his plan to take delivery of the cannabis at the yard, which he had rented under a false name to conceal his identity. Additionally, Bonsu was linked to the operation through multiple payments made to a shipping company for the container’s delivery.
NCA senior investigating officer Saju Sasikumar commented on the case, highlighting the collaborative international efforts between the NCA and the Ghanaian authorities in intercepting the drug shipment. He emphasized the potential consequences had the cannabis reached the UK supply chain, including its role in fueling exploitation through county lines activity and contributing to serious violence and knife crime.
Sasikumar concluded, “Putting these harmful criminal groups before the courts and dismantling their illegal operations is a key part of the NCA’s mission to protect the public from serious and organised crime.”
