How West Africa became the cocaine route to Europe and America

West Africa has become the primary cocaine route leading to Europe and America, according to recent reports. In September of 2026, a French airport security check resulted in the arrest of a South African man carrying heroin worth over two million rands. This incident highlights the ongoing drug trafficking crisis in the region, which has intensified in recent years.

Ghana, in particular, has emerged as a key transit point for narcotics, with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) estimating that at least 30% of cocaine consumed in Western Europe now passes through West Africa between 2025 and 2026. While this figure may be as high as one-third, the actual scale of the trade is likely even larger, given persistent intelligence gaps.

Between 2012 and 2018, less than two tonnes of cocaine were seized annually in West Africa. However, this figure surged to around 30 metric tonnes in 2025 alone, representing a 50% increase over the previous period. The Global Organized Crime Index 2025 has rated West Africa's cocaine trade as the fastest-growing criminal market in the region, with a score of 6.67, up from 5.20 in 2019.

The surge in cocaine trafficking can be attributed to three converging forces: record coca production in Latin America, surging cocaine demand in Europe, and intensified European pressure on direct routes from Latin America to Europe. Coastal Guinea-Bissau, with its archipelago of mangrove-fringed islands and unstable politics, has long been a hub for drug trafficking, earning the nickname "Africa's first narco-state."