A group of men involved in smuggling nearly £4.5 million worth of cannabis from Ghana into south Essex have received combined prison sentences totaling 26 years. The substantial drug haul was uncovered by UK Border Force officers within a shipping container at Tilbury Docks after a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. All four men were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on October 18, 2024.
Daniel Yeboah received a five-year sentence, while Edward Adjei, 48, of London Road, Grays, was sentenced to four years. Kristoffen Baidoo, 48, and Kwaku Bonsu, 52, evaded authorities before sentencing—Baidoo was sentenced in his absence to 10 years, and Bonsu received seven years. Efforts are underway to locate and return them to custody to serve their sentences.
Saju Sasikumar, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, highlighted the international connections used by the gang, noting that “the onward supply of these drugs in the UK would have had a catastrophic impact on communities, intensifying violence and exploitation linked to county lines drug networks.”
The container arrived at Tilbury Docks from Ghana on December 19, 2019. Intelligence from the NCA and Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission indicated it held illicit substances. A search revealed 2,335 packages of herbal cannabis, weighing 1.5 tonnes, concealed within hessian sacks of Gari powder. Officers estimated the street value of the drugs to be around £4.3 million.
In a sting operation, NCA officers replaced the cannabis packages with dummy parcels before allowing the container to proceed to north London on January 13, 2020. Upon arrival, Daniel Yeboah signed the delivery note with a fake signature. Realising the drugs were missing after inspecting the container, the men abandoned the site in separate vehicles. However, officers were monitoring and subsequently arrested all four.
Digital evidence, including text messages and emails, linked Baidoo to the plot, revealing that he rented the yard under a false name to avoid detection. Records showed multiple payments from Bonsu’s bank account to a shipping company, facilitating the container’s journey to north London.