Government has strengthened NACOC to fight against drug trafficking – Majority

In a statement to the media in Accra, the Majority Caucus in Parliament praised the Mahama administration for bolstering the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) against drug trafficking. According to the caucus, NACOC's effectiveness has grown significantly due to a series of reforms and increases in personnel and resources. They emphasized that the commission had undergone reforms to address underfunding, inadequate staffing, and limited operational reach, which had weakened the agency in the past.

The Majority Leader, James Agalga, highlighted that before 2025, NACOC had fewer than 1,500 personnel nationwide, and lacked crucial investigative and forensic capabilities needed to combat modern trafficking syndicates. They also pointed out that a 2018 decision to exclude NACOC from mandatory joint inspections at the Tema Port hampered efforts to intercept narcotics shipments, and the lack of a dedicated narcotics court resulted in delays in prosecuting drug-related offenses.

The Majority Caucus' claims came amid a series of major narcotics seizures, including the interception of a tipper truck carrying over 3.3 tons of cocaine at Pedu Junction near Cape Coast in March 2025, the largest cocaine seizure in Ghana's history. Other notable seizures included 120 slabs of suspected cocaine intercepted on the Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway in March 2025, and 89.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in wooden boxes declared as traditional artefacts at Accra International Airport in April 2025, which were destined for the Netherlands.

The NDC also pointed to the seizure of 866 packages of suspected cocaine hidden in sacks of gari at a Tema Harbor warehouse in August 2026, and the interception of nearly 3.9 tons of cocaine valued at €225 million at the Port of Dunkirk in September 2026. These seizures have drawn international attention and sparked debates over Ghana's vulnerability to transnational trafficking networks.

The Caucus rejected accusations that the seizures indicate deteriorating security, instead attributing them to improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and increased operational effectiveness by NACOC and other security agencies. They highlighted the establishment of a dedicated narcotics court, the recruitment and training of 495 officers in 2025, and the approval of an additional 1,200 personnel to strengthen the commission's nationwide presence.

The Majority Leader also announced that NACOC had recorded 217 arrests in 2025 from 165 cases, compared to 73 arrests in 2024, marking the commission's biggest annual enforcement increase.