A British national, Chyna Jada Browne-Frater, has been remanded into custody until the final determination of the case by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly attempting to traffic narcotic drugs through the Kotoka International Airport.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Susana Eduful, deferred hearing on the case to June 9, 2025, after Browne-Frater’s plea was not taken.
The accused is facing three serious charges under the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019): attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without a ministerial licence, conspiracy to export narcotics, and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.
Prosecutors informed the court that Browne-Frater, a 22-year-old British citizen born on October 27, 2002, was intercepted on May 18, 2025, at Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport.
She was preparing to board British Airways flight BA 2066 to London when officials from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), acting on intelligence, flagged her for screening.
The intelligence, reportedly shared by foreign counterparts of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), suggested the existence of a syndicate trafficking Thai-grown cannabis into the UK. Browne-Frater had been placed on a GIS Stop List prior to her arrest.
Chief Inspector Clemence Takyi, holding brief for a State Attorney, told the court that after being intercepted around 6:40 p.m., Browne-Frater admitted during preliminary questioning that she had checked in one suitcase, but claimed she was unaware of its contents.
The said suitcase had already been loaded onto the aircraft. It was subsequently offloaded and examined at the NACOC Arrival Office in her presence. Inside, officers discovered thirty-two vacuum-sealed slabs of a plant-like substance suspected to be cannabis.
The total weight of the suspected narcotics was 17.92 kilograms, with an estimated street value of $232,960.
Field tests on the substance confirmed the presence of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component in cannabis.
During further interrogation at NACOC’s headquarters, Browne-Frater claimed she was in Ghana at the invitation of her boyfriend, identified only as “Joey”, who is now at large.
She alleged that Joey packed her suitcase on the day of her return to the UK, claiming it contained local alcoholic beverages such as “Kpoo Keke” and Alomo Bitters, as well as spices.
Browne-Frater has denied any knowledge of the narcotics found in her luggage. Meanwhile, NACOC says efforts are ongoing to apprehend Joey to assist in investigations.
The court remanded the accused into custody until the next hearing date. The narcotic exhibits, which were sealed in the presence of the accused, are to be sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for laboratory analysis.
