Meet Jessica Hartog, the Euro Spa owner arraigned over alleged 4-tonne cocaine shipment to France

• Jessica Hartog, owner of Euro Spa and Beauty Lounge in Shiashie, has been arrested and arraigned before an Accra High Court.

• She is accused of being involved in the alleged smuggling of nearly four tonnes of cocaine intercepted by French authorities.

• Hartog has not been convicted, and the allegations against her are yet to be determined by the court.

Jessica Hartog, who owns Euros Spa, is among four people facing charges over the shipment. The other accused are businessman Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah or “Biggs”; Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”; and Kweku Otchere.

The case followed the seizure of a 40-foot container at the port of Dunkirk in France in September 2026. The container had reportedly been shipped from Ghana and was declared as carrying plastic waste.

According to the prosecution, French authorities discovered suspected prohibited substances hidden within the consignment. The shipment is estimated to have a street value of about US$260 million.

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Following the interception, Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) began investigations into people allegedly connected to the shipment.

Hartog and Curiel were arrested by NACOC officers at Ashaley Botwe on September 12, 2026. Otchere was also apprehended at his residence in East Legon on the same day.

Musah Attah, meanwhile, reportedly surrendered himself to NACOC at its headquarters on September 14, according to the prosecution's account presented in court.

Investigators allegedly recovered several items during searches linked to the arrests, including three firearms, ammunition, four luxury vehicles, passports and various amounts of money.

During proceedings, Hartog was identified as Curiel's fiancée. The prosecution told the court that she claimed not to have been aware of the nature or details of Curiel's business activities.

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All four accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court subsequently remanded them into lawful custody while investigations and legal proceedings continue.

They are expected to return to court on October 13, 2026.

Meanwhile, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”, has reportedly been named as a fifth suspect who remains at large.

The prosecution told the court that investigations are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged shipment and to identify and apprehend any other individuals who may have been involved.

Hartog has not been convicted of any offence. The allegations against her and the other accused persons remain before the court and are yet to be determined.