British Airways Passenger Arrested in Ghana for Smuggling $232K Drugs

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LONDON- A British woman, 23, has been arrested at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) after allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly 18 kilograms of cannabis onto a British Airways (BA) flight bound for London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

The arrest was made on May 18 as part of a profiling operation by Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

The suspect was intercepted just before boarding the flight. Authorities claim her luggage contained 32 packages of suspected drugs, later confirmed through testing to be 17.72kg of cannabis.

She has been taken into custody at NACOC’s headquarters in Accra for further investigation.

British Airways Passenger Arrested

On May 18, 2025, Chyna Jada Browne-Frater, a 22-year-old British woman, was apprehended at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) as she prepared to board British Airways (BA) flight BA2066 to London Gatwick (LGW).

According to the Ghanaian Narcotics Control Commission, a routine profiling exercise led to the inspection of her two suitcases, which revealed 32 vacuum-sealed slabs of a plant-like substance.

A field test confirmed the substance as cannabis, weighing 17.72kg with an estimated street value of $232,960.

Browne-Frater was detained and transferred to NACOC headquarters in Accra for further investigation, as reported by the Daily Mail.

During interrogation, Browne-Frater claimed she was unaware of the suitcase’s contents, alleging her boyfriend, identified only as “Joey,” packed the luggage, claiming it contained local alcoholic beverages and spices.

She faces three charges under Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019), attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without a license, conspiracy to commit the crime with “Joey,” who remains at large, and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.

The Accra Circuit Court 3, presided over by Judge Susana Eduful, denied her bail request due to the severity of the charges and flight risk concerns.

Remanding her into custody pending further investigation, including tests by the Ghana Standards Authority to confirm the substance’s composition.

Rising Trend of Drug Smuggling

On the same day as the arrest in Ghana, another British citizen, this time a 19-year-old, was detained at Dubai International Airport (DXB) with 53kg of cannabis across two suitcases.

Alongside two accomplices, he was intercepted before boarding his return flight to the UK. NACOC confirmed that investigations are ongoing and reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking.

UK authorities have long collaborated with Ghanaian officials to curb smuggling routes. In September 2024, four British men were convicted of smuggling £4.3 million worth of cannabis hidden in gari sacks from Ghana into the UK via Tilbury Docks.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) traced 1.5 tonnes of cannabis concealed within 2,355 packages inside the shipment.

Sentences of Smugglers

In 2024, Chelsea Allingham, a 40 year old Canadian national, was jailed for 10 months after being caught with cannabis filled suitcases at Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Similarly, Fernando Mayans Fuster, a 51-year-old Spaniard, was sentenced to over three years after arriving at Manchester Airport (MAN) from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with eight suitcases containing 158kg of cannabis, the largest passenger seizure at that airport.

Charles Yates, deputy director of the NCA, noted in August 2024 that cannabis smuggling through airports has risen sharply.

He stated: “We’ve seen an exponential rise in people flying into the UK with cannabis stowed in their luggage… already this year more than double those for the whole of 2023.”

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