A member of Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwasi Kwarteng, has expressed concerns that recent cocaine seizures linked to Ghana appear to be the work of organized crime. He stated that the government needs to be transparent about its plans to address the issue. Kwarteng's comments come as the country faces growing scrutiny over its role in international cocaine trafficking. The government has been criticized for its response to the seizures, with Kwarteng describing its posturing as problematic.
The New Patriotic Party has called for the dismissal of several high-ranking officials, including the heads of the Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and National Security. The party's Second National Vice Chairman, Henry Nana Boakye, cited 14 major cocaine and drug seizures between March 2025 and October 2026, including several large interceptions abroad. Boakye estimated that the street value of cocaine seized outside Ghana was between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion.
According to Boakye, seven of the interceptions occurred on Ghanaian soil, involving approximately 3.6 tonnes of drugs, while more than 12 tonnes of cocaine traced to Ghana were seized abroad. He cited several specific incidents, including the seizure of nearly 4,500kg of cocaine concealed in a timber shipment from Ghana at Amsterdam in June 2025. The party has questioned the government's effectiveness in addressing the issue, describing it as an emerging cocaine trafficking corridor.
The New Patriotic Party has also challenged the account of a recent cocaine interception at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanese Customs, working with the country's General Security, arrested a Syrian national who had arrived from Accra with 40 packages of cocaine weighing 46.7kg. The party questioned why Lebanese authorities' account of the operation did not mention the involvement of Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission.
The party has demanded clarification on the identity of persons arrested in Ghana in connection with the operation, as well as allegations that the courier paid bribes to airport officials to facilitate the movement of the cocaine. The party also questioned the difference between the 46.7kg reported by Lebanese authorities and the approximately 40kg cited by Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission. They have called for an explanation of the circumstances under which Musah Attah, a suspect in a cocaine shipment intercepted at Dunkirk, France, had access to the presidential security circle.
The New Patriotic Party has made several demands of the government, including a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry with public hearings into all Ghana-linked cocaine seizures since January 2025. They have also called for the publication of a security roadmap and the production of a joint statement with Lebanese authorities confirming the Beirut operation was a controlled delivery. The party seeks an update on the prosecution of Musah Attah and an explanation of his alleged access to presidential security.
The government's response to the growing concerns over drug trafficking has been criticized as inadequate. The President had given an inter-agency task force two weeks to develop measures to address the issue, but the deadline has passed without a public roadmap being released. The party's demands highlight the need for greater transparency and accountability in addressing the issue of cocaine trafficking in Ghana.
Key points
- The New Patriotic Party has called for the dismissal of several high-ranking officials over their handling of the cocaine seizures.
- The party has estimated that the street value of cocaine seized outside Ghana was between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion.
- The government faces criticism for its response to the growing concerns over drug trafficking in Ghana.
