First Deputy Minority Whip Habib Iddrisu has initiated a parliamentary motion to investigate major narcotics seizures connected to Ghanaian consignments. The motion, backed by nine other New Patriotic Party MPs, seeks to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the seizures. This development comes ahead of Parliament's extraordinary sitting on September 29, 2026. Iddrisu invoked Standing Order 102 to push for a transparent and bipartisan examination.
The proposed investigation focuses on a series of significant narcotics interceptions associated with Ghana. These include the seizure of 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine by French Customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, valued at approximately $261 million. Another seizure involved 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by Australian authorities in June 2026 from a consignment linked to Ghana. The motion also references cocaine interceptions recorded in Ghana during 2025.
The parliamentary motion seeks to determine how the consignments were able to move through Ghana's export and clearance systems before being intercepted abroad. The proposed committee will examine the ports or points from which the shipments departed and the security procedures applied before they left the country. This includes intelligence profiling, scanning arrangements, physical inspections, and customs clearance procedures.
The inquiry will also identify companies, government institutions, and organisations that participated in processing, handling, inspecting, or clearing the consignments. However, the investigation must consider restrictions associated with ongoing criminal investigations and the legal rights of persons under investigation. The proposed committee will examine whether Ghana's existing surveillance and security architecture is equipped to detect international narcotics trafficking.
The investigation will assess scanning equipment, intelligence gathering, surveillance mechanisms, and security arrangements at Ghana's seaports, airports, and points of entry and departure. The inquiry will also consider actions taken by Ghanaian authorities after the seizures were announced, including investigations, arrests, and prosecutions. Additionally, it will examine the exchange of intelligence and cooperation with authorities in France, Australia, and other jurisdictions.
The parliamentary initiative follows a formal petition by the Minority Caucus to Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, requesting the recall of Parliament due to urgent national security concerns. The petition argued that the incidents raised questions about Ghana's ports and export systems, customs controls, and narcotics enforcement arrangements. The Speaker subsequently issued a formal notice recalling Parliament for September 29.
The move has generated discussion within Parliament over the mechanism for examining the narcotics seizures. While the Minority pushes for parliamentary scrutiny, some Majority members question the necessity of recalling the House, citing ongoing investigations and existing oversight responsibilities of parliamentary committees. University of Ghana political scientist Dr. Joshua Ebuntie Zaato has argued that parliamentary examination is necessary.
Key points
- Habib Iddrisu files parliamentary motion to investigate narcotics seizures linked to Ghanaian consignments.
- The proposed investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding significant narcotics interceptions associated with Ghana.
- The inquiry will assess Ghana's existing surveillance and security architecture and its ability to detect international narcotics trafficking.
