A scandal involving a cocaine-related crime at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has led to the interdiction of several Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) officers, including senior officer Eric Nartey Yeboah, also known as “Chairman Dollar,” as reported by The Herald.
The scandal unfolded following the arrest of Dutch national Proeger Delgey Bianca at Brussels Airport in Belgium. She was apprehended with 8.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, believed to have been smuggled through KIA on March 23, 2024, aboard the Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc, with the alleged assistance of a GACL staff member.
The Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) has launched an investigation into the drug smuggling case, with Belgian authorities seeking clarification from Ghanaian authorities regarding the matter.
Eric Nartey Yeboah, recently appointed as Cargo Security Manager at KIA, has been implicated in the scandal. His presence at KIA during the time of the drug movement, particularly his actions around 3 am on the day the drugs were believed to have left Accra for Brussels, raised suspicions.
In response to the incident, the GACL Board has approved a thorough investigation, with a committee established within the management of KIA tasked to submit a report by the end of April.
Additionally, recent reports have linked Yeboah to a missing American-registered private jet, further complicating the ongoing investigations and raising questions about his involvement in aviation-related matters.
The ‘St Vincent Times’, a popular news portal in the South American Island, on December 25, reported the development as follows:
“The aircraft departed from Canouan on Friday 22nd December 2023 at 2:27 p.m. for a sightseeing expedition. However, just 7 minutes into the flight, it disappeared from radar.”
According to reliable sources, the N337LR aircraft was found to have a flight crew consisting of two individuals and one passenger, contrary to prior information indicating the presence of three passengers and one pilot. While specific identities were not disclosed, it was confirmed that at least two individuals aboard were of Mexican nationality.
The St Vincent Times learned that authorities were aware of the identity of the flight crew and the sole passenger, suggesting that N337LR did not vanish by chance. The aircraft was not detected by radar in neighboring islands, prompting fears that its transponder may have been deactivated while in flight.
A transponder is an avionic device that sends data and responses to requests from Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar stations. The N337LR lacks ACARS, which would have facilitated communication with ATC when its transponder is off.
The aircraft had reportedly embarked on a sightseeing expedition from Canouan, with its intended flight path crossing the northern region of Canouan. An aviation expert stated that the missing Gulfstream would take 6 minutes to travel from CIW to the mainland, and the N337LR had fuel for over 4 hours.
The flight plan was considered illogical, as an aircraft of that model would not require a four-hour fuel supply for sightseeing purposes. It is believed that N337LR may have landed on a private airstrip in South America, potentially in Venezuela, as it is located just one hour away from the Grenadines.
The DEA has been monitoring N337LR for some time, as Gulf-stream aircraft are increasingly used as ‘narco planes’ for the illicit transportation of cocaine from South America. These aircraft can transport 14 or more passengers across around 4,000 miles and can operate from relatively basic and clandestine airstrips.
On January 22, 2023, N337LR was sighted conducting a flight or reactor test, which it aborted departing from Manzanillo (at Maya De Oro International Airport in Mexico). The missing plane is presently available for purchase on AVBUYER, with records indicating several changes of ownership.