President John Mahama has directed security agencies to tighten controls at Ghana’s ports following a series of international drug seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana.
Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the President had instructed the agencies to strengthen their coordination and close gaps that could allow narcotics to pass through the country’s ports.
He said the directive followed an urgent meeting convened by President Mahama about two weeks ago with security agencies responsible for port and border security.
“It is an expression of the President’s concern that he convened that urgent meeting two weeks ago, involving various security agencies that are supposed to work together to make our ports safe or our ports so ironclad that this sort of activity does not take place,” he said.
Kwakye Ofosu made the disclosure on Joy News’ PM Express.
Inter-agency task force formed
The meeting came after French customs seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container of plastic waste that had arrived at the Port of Dunkirk from Ghana.
Following the meeting, President Mahama directed the establishment of an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap for preventing drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders.
Ten people, including four officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, were subsequently reported to have been taken into custody as investigations continued.
Kwakye Ofosu said the government was reviewing security arrangements at the ports and would introduce additional measures where weaknesses were identified.
The latest developments have increased scrutiny of Ghana’s port controls amid several international narcotics seizures involving consignments traced to or shipped from Ghana.
Government rejects drug-hub description
The Minority in Parliament had sought an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the seizures, including how the consignments were processed, inspected and cleared for export.
Parliament was recalled on September 29 following the Minority’s petition. However, Speaker Alban Bagbin later ruled the proposed motion for an ad hoc inquiry inadmissible, saying the proposed investigation substantially overlapped with ongoing criminal proceedings and could prejudice matters before the courts.
Kwakye Ofosu rejected descriptions of Ghana as a “cocaine coast” or drug transit hub.
He argued that seizures and arrests by the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) should not, on their own, be interpreted as proof that Ghana is becoming a trafficking hub.
He said investigations into the recent cases remained ongoing and that anyone found to have participated in illegal activity would face due process.
The President’s directive places renewed focus on coordination among customs, security, intelligence and narcotics-control agencies as authorities seek to strengthen Ghana’s systems for detecting and preventing drug trafficking through its ports.
