[REVISION HISTORY]

Ghana national security challenges and narcotics trafficking

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2026-10-12 11:19 UTC → 2026-10-12 16:35 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Ghana continues to face intense political and social scrutiny regarding narcotics trafficking and maritime security. Following the seizure of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in Dunkirk, France, originating from a Ghanaian container, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the government of allowing the nation to become a ‘Cocaine Coast’. The NPP has demanded the dismissal of leadership at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, while calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate 12 narcotics-related cases recorded between 2025 and September 2026, which have an estimated street value exceeding US$1 billion. In response, President John Mahama has authorized the recruitment of 1,200 additional agents for NACOC. To bolster enforcement, the Majority Caucus in Parliament has called for enhanced inter-agency collaboration, emphasizing that intelligence sharing between NACOC, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Immigration Service is essential to dismantle trafficking networks. Recent scrutiny has focused on port security protocols after it was revealed that containers linked to drug seizures had passed through scanning processes without detection. Alexander Twum-Barimah, Deputy Director-General of NACOC, ~~disclosed~~ clarified that only Customs officers and Meridian Port Services (MPS) officials are permitted in port scanning ~~rooms, with Customs officers solely responsible for interpreting images. The failure to detect abnormalities has led to~~ rooms. Expanding on the ~~arrest~~ complexity of ~~several Customs officers for questioning. Furthermore, NACOC has denied social media allegations~~ trafficking methods, Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka reported that ~~suspects arrested in the Dunkirk seizure were linked~~ cannabis traffickers are increasingly using ambulances and bullion vans to transport illegal substances. To combat illegal cultivation, the ~~security details~~ government is intensifying operations, including the destruction of ~~Ghana’s top leadership. Twum-Barimah clarified that background checks on suspect Musah Attah, also known as ‘Kromo’, identified him as a farmer rather than~~ cannabis farms. Muntaka noted a ~~member~~ historical lack of ~~any presidential protection unit.~~ specialized narcotics detection equipment, which previously forced personnel to rely on physical inspections. He also encouraged illegal growers to transition into the legal economy by forming cooperatives to cultivate approved industrial or medicinal cannabis, provided the THC content remains below 0.3 per cent.

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