NACOC destroys seized drugs valued at over $10m at Bundase

Over ten million US dollars' worth of seized narcotics were destroyed recently by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in Bundase. The consignment comprised millions of synthetic opioid tablets and capsules, thousands of bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, and hundreds of kilogrammes of cannabis confiscated during anti-drug operations.

The synthetic opioids amounted to the largest share of the seized drugs, estimated to be worth five and a half million US dollars. The destruction also covered thirty-eight thousand bottles of codeine cough syrup, valued at four and a half million US dollars, as well as 564.39 kilogrammes of cannabis with an estimated street value of 112,878 US dollars.

Before their destruction, the substances were verified by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), which confirmed the presence of cannabis in the samples tested. The exercise took place amid growing concerns over Ghana's involvement in international drug trafficking, following the recent seizure of suspected narcotics in Lebanon linked to a consignment from Ghana.

NACOC Director-General, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, stressed the Commission's unwavering commitment to combating the narcotics trade, reaffirming that the Lebanon incident should not be seen as a reflection of institutional inadequacy. Despite the challenges in combating drug trafficking, Mantey affirmed that NACOC would persist in its efforts to disrupt the activities of drug traffickers and strengthen its operations.

The destruction of the seized narcotics aims to prevent these confiscated substances from re-entering circulation and potentially causing further harm to the public.