Joint security forces operating along Ghana’s inland waterways have dealt a significant blow to cross-border drug trafficking following the interception of a massive narcotics shipment at the Ada Estuary.
The high-stakes operation, executed by the Ghana Navy’s Riverine Command alongside officers from the Narcotics Control Commission and National Security, led to the seizure of two wooden vessels packed with 117 sacks of suspected Indian hemp. Weighing roughly 4.7 tonnes, the massive haul was carefully packaged into more than 80 individual parcels per sack, carrying an estimated street value of over US$1 million.
Trouble mounted for the syndicates on Thursday, 5 November 2026, when an intelligence-led sea patrol spotted the vessels maneuvering through the estuary. Upon realizing they were being actively pursued by naval personnel, the suspects intentionally grounded the craft and fled the scene on foot, abandoning the illegal cargo. Security sources revealed that preliminary investigations point to an orchestrated attempt to smuggle the illicit haul out of the country via maritime routes.
Detailing the raid to reporters, the Director of Naval Operations, Captain GN Festus Osei Brobbey, stated that riverine detachments remain heavily deployed across the Volta Lake and adjoining coastal communities. He noted that the strategic deployment forms part of a broader mandate to crack down on criminal networks seeking to exploit Ghana’s waterways. Expressing gratitude to local residents, Captain Brobbey stressed that timely community-led intelligence remains pivotal to dismantling syndicates operating within the sector.
Reinforcing the call for local vigilance, the District Chief Executive for Ada East and Chairman of the District Security Committee, Kenneth Kofi Kabu Kanor, applauded the task force for its swift intervention. He issued a stern warning to residents against permitting the Volta Lake to become a transit hub for drug syndicates, urging citizens to remain alert and promptly expose suspicious movements to security personnel.
Mr Kanor pledged the district assembly’s unwavering cooperation with naval forces in Ada East, while making a passionate appeal to government ministries and state agencies to urgently dispatch additional logistical support to fortify local maritime defense operations.
Following the raid, the Ghana Navy reiterated its resolve to escalate riverine and maritime patrols, vowing to aggressively combat illicit trafficking while safeguarding the integrity of Ghana’s territorial waters.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana