The Criminal Division of the High Court has ordered the destruction of over $350 million worth of cocaine seized in Ghana, following confirmatory tests by state authorities.

On Wednesday, more than three tonnes of the suspected narcotics were inspected and tested at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) headquarters in Ridge, Accra.

The process was carried out under a court directive issued by Justice Ruby Aryeetey in the ongoing narcotics trial involving Isaac Quarcoo, Kenneth Cobbinah, and Mawuko Kudufia.

State attorneys, defence lawyers, technical experts from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), and the presiding judge were present as samples were subjected to the Cobalt Thiocyanate field test.

The samples turned blue, indicating a presumptive positive result for cocaine.

Subsequent laboratory analysis by the GSA using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed the substance as cocaine hydrochloride.

The narcotics—approximately 3.3 tonnes—were intercepted in March this year at Pedu Junction in the Central Region. They had been hidden under sand in a tipper truck heading to Accra.

The court has scheduled the destruction of the exhibits for June 20 at Bundase in the Greater Accra Region.

Meanwhile, the NIB has launched a manhunt for three additional suspects: Kelian Julien Mensah, Jefflean Kwadjo Ntow, and Charles Hagan, who remain at large.