The Second Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has warned that the recurring interception of cocaine and other narcotic substances originating from Ghana poses an ominous threat to the country’s national security and international standing.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the legal practitioner stated that the situation remains a major dent on the image and integrity of the nation. He urged President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive measures to halt the growing menace.
Providing breakdown details of recent drug seizures, the NPP executive revealed that Ghana recorded 14 major cocaine and drug busts between March 2025 and October 2026. The estimated street value of the narcotics intercepted abroad within the period ranges between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion.
Out of the recorded incidents, seven seizures occurred within Ghana, amounting to approximately 3.6 tonnes. Five foreign seizures—intercepted at ports including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Dunkirk, and Beirut—yielded nearly 14 tonnes of cocaine.
He cited key incidents including a June 2025 interception by Dutch authorities of nearly 4,500 kg of cocaine hidden in a wood shipment from Ghana, marking the largest seizure ever recorded at the Port of Amsterdam. In Belgium, authorities at the Port of Antwerp uncovered 2,829 kg concealed in cassava flour shipped from Tema in November 2025, followed by another 1,158 kg seizure in December 2025.
Further interceptions included 3.9 tonnes seized by French authorities at Dunkirk in September 2026 from a container declared as plastic waste, and an October 31, 2026 arrest in Beirut of a Syrian national traveling from Ghana with 46.7 kg of cocaine.
Nana B highlighted that the trend extends to other narcotics, pointing to an April 2026 seizure by Australian police of 320 kg of illicit drugs hidden in charcoal shipped from Ghana, valued at $210 million, as well as the September 2026 arrest of a South African national at OR Tambo International Airport carrying heroin from Accra.
The Second Vice Chairman criticized the government’s handling of the situation, expressing concern over the lack of administrative action against heads of relevant security and preventive agencies. He called on President Mahama to demonstrate firm leadership to restore public confidence and safeguard the nation’s international reputation.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana