Cocaine busts: What we are seeing looks like organised crime - Kwasi Kwarteng
The government may not be complicit, but the posturing of the government is problematic
Kwasi Kwarteng, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated that the recent cocaine busts in foreign countries from Ghana seem to be indicative of organized crime. He expressed disappointment that the government has not provided any information regarding its plans to address these drug seizures linked to Ghana. Kwarteng stated that while he doesn't believe the government is complicit in the issue, its handling of the situation is problematic.
He made these remarks during a TV3 Saturday program on November 7. The NPP has called for the immediate dismissal of heads of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and National Security due to Ghana's increasing involvement in international cocaine trafficking.
The party argues that repeated interceptions of cocaine consignments traced to Ghana at various international destinations raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the country's security and anti-narcotics institutions. The opposition party, NPP, has accused the government of failing to address a growing cocaine trafficking corridor.
They have cited six major cocaine seizures occurring within Ghana between March 2025 and October 2026. Of these, seven seizures took place on Ghanaian soil, involving about 3.6 tonnes of drugs, while over 12 tonnes of cocaine intercepted outside Ghana had been seized from shipments originating in Ghana. The estimated street value of the cocaine seized abroad ranges between US$1.3 billion and US$1.7 billion.
The NPP has also questioned NACOC's explanation of the recent cocaine interception at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, which they claim was part of a controlled delivery operation. They demand clarification over the identity of individuals arrested in connection with the operation in Ghana, the differing reports on the amount of cocaine seized, and the involvement of bribes paid to airport officials to facilitate the movement of the cocaine.
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