The ‘Ghana Girls’ - Ghana

“The use of such young people in smuggling drugs demonstrates the ruthless nature of those criminal gangs involved in the illegal narcotics trade and the misery they cause."

Tony Walker, HMRC, commenting on the Ghana girls’ conviction.

Last updated: 21 July 2011

Two 16 year old school girls arrested on charges of attempting to smuggle cocaine

In the summer of 2007, the school girls agreed to go on holiday with a man they had met. Allowing the man’s ‘cousin’ to sponsor the trip, the girls from London inadvisably travelled to Ghana, where as arranged met with their escorts. On the trip they were given laptop bags by their escorts to drop in the airport. On their way home a boy returned the bags to them with considerable extra weight but naively the girls went through customs. Customs stopped the girls to discover 6kg of cocaine concealed in the linings. The girls were arrested and held by the Ghana’s Narcotics Control Board.

Despite the age and vulnerability of the girls and serious flaws in the investigation, including alleged improper handling of evidence, the girls were found guilty of attempting to smuggle cocaine. Following a social workers’ report the girls received a one year sentence to be served in a rehabilitation institution. At the end of their sentence, Fair Trials International travelled to Ghana to accompany the girls home and limited the intrusion into the girls’ privacy to enable them to resume as normal life as possible.

We need your help

Receive our monthly email newsletter direct to your inbox.