The Majority Caucus in Parliament has credited the Mahama administration with transforming the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) into a more effective force against drug trafficking, citing sharp increases in arrests, seizures and institutional reforms amid growing concerns over Ghana’s role in international narcotics networks.
Addressing the media in Accra yesterday over the country’s drug situation, the caucus argued that NACOC inherited an agency weakened by years of underfunding, inadequate staffing, poor logistics and limited operational reach.
The new Majority Leader and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga who addressed the media for the first time since he assumed the leadership role noted that the commission had fewer than 1,500 personnel nationwide before 2025 and lacked critical investigative and forensic capabilities needed to combat modern trafficking syndicates.
The caucus further claimed that a 2018 decision that excluded NACOC from mandatory joint inspections at the Tema Port undermined efforts to intercept narcotics shipments, while the absence of a dedicated narcotics court contributed to delays in prosecuting drug-related offences.
The move by the Majority Caucus comes against the backdrop of a series of major narcotics seizures that have thrust Ghana into the spotlight of international anti-drug enforcement agencies and intensified political debate over the country’s vulnerability to transnational trafficking networks.
In March 2025, security agencies intercepted a tipper truck carrying more than 3.3 tons of cocaine concealed beneath sand at Pedu Junction near Cape Coast, one of the largest cocaine seizures in Ghana’s history. Around the same period, another truck transporting about 120 slabs of suspected cocaine was intercepted on the Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway.
In April 2025, NACOC officers seized 89.7 kilograms of cocaine concealed in wooden boxes declared as traditional artefacts at the Swissport Cargo Terminal of Accra International Air (formerly Kotoka International Airport). The consignment was reportedly destined for the Netherlands.
The string of seizures continued in August 2026 when authorities uncovered 866 parcels of suspected cocaine hidden in sacks of gari at a warehouse within the Tema Harbor enclave, a discovery that renewed concerns about the exploitation of Ghana’s ports by organized drug syndicates.
International attention intensified in September 2026 when French customs officials intercepted nearly 3.9 tons of cocaine valued at approximately €225 million at the Port of Dunkirk. The ship shipment, concealed in a container of plastic waste originating from Ghana, subsequently led to arrests in Ghana and investigations into alleged links with a transnational trafficking network associated with Dutch fugitive drug trafficker, Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”.
Australian authorities have also intercepted approximately 320 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in charcoal consignments shipped from Ghana, reinforcing concerns about the country’s growing prominence in international trafficking routes.
The wave of seizures has fuelled criticisms from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Minority in Parliament, who argued that the frequency and scale of the cases point to serious weaknesses in Ghana’s border security architecture. The NPP has citied at least 12 major narcotics cases recorded between 2025 and September 2026 and contends that the cumulative value of seizures linked to Ghana exceeds US$1 billion.
Addressing a recent news conference, the National Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye described the trend as a national security concern and questioned the effectiveness of security controls at the country’s ports, airports and land borders. The elephant family has also called for comprehensive investigations in the major cocaine seizures and allegations of possible institutional lapses that may have allowed traffickers to operate.
The Minority has further expressed concerns that several large consignments linked to Ghana were intercepted abroad rather than by local authorities, arguing that such cases expose gaps in domestic screening and interdiction mechanisms.
Opposition lawmakers have warned that repeated associations with international narcotics trafficking could tarnish Ghana’s reputation and subject Ghanaian travellers, exporters and businesses to heightened scrutiny overseas.
The Majority Caucus, however, rejects all these allegations and assertions that the recent seizures indicate deteriorating security. Instead, it argues that the discoveries demonstrate improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency collaboration and increased operational effectiveness by NACOC and other security agencies.
According to the NDC MPs, the government has established a dedicated narcotics court to accelerate prosecutions and tackle longstanding case backlogs. It also highlighted the recruitment and training of 495 officers in 2025, the largest graduating class in NACOC’s history, as well as the approval of an additional 1,200 personnel to strengthen the commission’s nationwide presence.
The caucus said NACOC recorded 217 arrests in 2025 from 165 cases, compared with 73 arrests in 2024, representing what it described as the commission’s biggest annual enforcement increase. Authorities also seized nearly 1,500 kilograms of narcotic substances valued at more than US$5.2 million, along with cash, gold and other assets suspected to be linked to drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
The government has further expanded NACOC’S district commands from fewer than 10 to 7, extending its operations to all 16 regions, while providing new vehicles, intelligence software and digital forensic tools. A dedicated forensic laboratory is also under construction to improve investigations and prosecutions, the Majority Leader revealed.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior recently disclosed that more than 8,500 kilograms of narcotics and 45.4 million tramadol tablets had been seized over a 20-month period, resulting in 217 arrests and 165 prosecutions.
Despite the reported gains, the Majority acknowledged that significant challenges remain, particularly at the country’s ports, borders and maritime entry points. It called for deeper cooperation among NACOC, the Police Service, Immigration Service, Customs authorities and the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority to combat increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks.
By Stephen Larbi
