The Minority in Parliament has called for an independent parliamentary inquiry into what it describes as a disturbing increase in the trafficking of narcotic drugs through Ghana under the Mahama-led NDC administration.
The Minority’s demand follows the seizure by French customs officials of nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine, valued at more than US$260 million, at the port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026.
In a Press Release issued yesterday, the Minority said the cocaine was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had departed from Ghana.
It said the latest seizure followed the June 18, 2026 interception by Australian authorities of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, valued at about US$261 million, concealed in a consignment of charcoal traced to Ghana.
The Minority argued that the two seizures could not be treated as isolated incidents, citing other narcotics-related cases over the past year as evidence of what it described as a troubling pattern.
It referenced the unresolved MV Sankofa incident in July 2025, involving a vessel allegedly sailing under a forged flag and facing a fine of almost GH¢12 million, but which was reportedly released by the Ghana Maritime Authority after payment of only a fraction of the amount.
The Minority said the vessel was subsequently arrested in Senegal carrying narcotics.
It also cited the March 2025 incident involving an aircraft that landed at the Kotoka International Airport from Gran Canaria and was allegedly carrying narcotics and undeclared foreign currency.
“Taken together, high-profile seizures linked to Ghana under this NDC administration now stand at well over US$1 billion in under two years,” the Minority said in a statement.
The Minority further referred to international drug enforcement estimates that for every narcotics consignment intercepted, several others may pass through undetected.
Applying what it described as a “widely cited benchmark” of nine undetected consignments for every one intercepted, it suggested that the actual value of narcotics trafficked through Ghana during the period could potentially be around US$9 billion.
It stressed, however, that the US$9 billion figure was not a certified estimate but an illustration of the possible scale of the problem.
The Minority is therefore demanding an independent and transparent assessment of the extent to which Ghana’s ports, airports and territorial waters may be being exploited by international drug trafficking networks.
It also criticised what it described as the silence of state agencies responsible for preventing narcotics trafficking.
According to the Minority, port authorities have not publicly accounted for the cocaine shipment seized in Dunkirk, while the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has also not provided sufficient explanation.
It further demanded answers from the Ghana Maritime Authority over the circumstances surrounding the release of the MV Sankofa.
The Minority has also raised questions about the direct port agreement between Ghana and Colombia announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in March 2026.
While stressing that trade with Colombia was not inherently objectionable, it said the agreement warranted heightened scrutiny because Colombia is a major cocaine-producing country and Ghana had recently been linked to several international drug seizures.
It demanded the publication of any due diligence and security risk assessment undertaken before the agreement was concluded, including details of cargo-scanning and anti-trafficking safeguards.
The Minority is calling for a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into the possible complicity, negligence or failure of oversight involving the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transport, NACOC leadership, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and the Bureau of National Investigation.
It also wants Parliament to establish who authorised the reduced fine and release of the MV Sankofa and why the vessel was allowed to sail without what it considers adequate inspection.
Additionally, the Minority is demanding that the responsible Ministers provide Parliament with a comprehensive account of measures being implemented to protect Ghana’s ports, airports and territorial waters from international drug cartels.
“Ghana’s international reputation, and the safety of our young people from the scourge of narcotics, cannot be held hostage to official silence or political convenience,” the Minority said.
It pledged to continue pressing for answers and accountability from the government over the alleged increase in the use of Ghana as a transit point for international narcotics trafficking.
