Ghana Emerges As Heroin Transit Hub – Report

Ghana has become a significant transit hub for heroin, according to a recent report. The country serves as both a starting point and end destination for the illicit drug, primarily originating from Afghanistan, according to the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index. Most of the heroin entering Ghana is reportedly trafficked by East African nationals, who consume some of it locally before repackaging and shipping it to the United States, primarily via Ghanaian nationals.

Ghanaan and Nigerian trafficking groups, working together, play a major role in this expansion of the global heroin trade across West Africa. This trafficking is often facilitated by corrupt officials at Ghana's seaports and airports, which are key entry and exit points. The drug distribution and consumption that were once limited to urban centers in Accra and Tema are now spreading throughout the country, even reaching rural northern regions.

Ghana scored 5.50 in the heroin trade category of the 2025 Index, with overall criminality and criminal markets scores of 5.77 and 6.03 respectively. The country also plays a large part in the global cocaine trade, with Brazil being the main source of cocaine imported by sea. Most of this cocaine is concealed in sugar containers and transported through countries like Spain or Turkey before arriving in Ghana's ports via the Tema and Takoradi ports.

Cannabis cultivation is also prominent in Ghana, having expanded since the government legalized it for medical and industrial uses. This has led to increased seizures of cannabis at major transit points like Accra International Airport and border towns. North American and European markets are the primary destinations for Ghana's cannabis exports.

The report also highlights concerns over Ghana's synthetic drug market, particularly Tramadol abuse and trafficking, which is mainly imported from India. Although use is reportedly declining, the illegal trade is linked to increased violence in the Northern and Western Regions and the Volta Region. Ghana is also a transit point for methamphetamine produced in Nigeria, as well as ephedrine, a precursor used in methamphetamine production, which is trafficked to facilities mainly in Nigeria. However, ephedrine flows have reportedly declined.