NACOC calls for stronger cross-border cooperation to tackle drug trafficking
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major-General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has called for stronger and more practical cross-border cooperation among African countries to combat the growing threat of synthetic drugs, cocaine trafficking and transnational organised crime. He made the call in Ghana’s statement delivered at the closing of the 33rd Meeting of Heads of…
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) Director-General, Major-General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has called for stronger cross-border cooperation among African countries to combat the growing threat of synthetic drugs, cocaine trafficking, and transnational organised crime. Speaking at the closing of the 33rd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLEA Africa) in Vienna, Austria, Mantey emphasized the need for countries to move beyond fragmented national responses and strengthen intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations, and joint operations.
He stressed that no single country can effectively tackle transnational drug trafficking alone, as trafficking networks operate across multiple jurisdictions, exploiting gaps in national enforcement systems. Mantey advocated for a neighbour-to-neighbour approach as a practical starting point for stronger regional cooperation, citing examples of bilateral cooperation between Ghana and neighbouring countries, as well as cooperation between The Gambia and Senegal.
He also referred to a high-level dialogue hosted in Accra in November 2025, which highlighted the growing threat posed by synthetic drugs to young people and the potential for organised crime and illicit financial flows to undermine governance and state institutions.
Brief written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
