The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in Ghana has come under scrutiny for its explanation of a recent 47 kilogramme cocaine bust in Lebanon. NACOC claimed that it allowed a suspected cocaine trafficker to leave Ghana for Lebanon as part of a "controlled delivery" operation to track the individual and identify other members of the trafficking network. However, Bright Simons, a Ghanaian technologist and Research Vice-President at IMANI Africa, has questioned the validity of this claim.
According to Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the successful operation was carried out by the General Directorate of General Security and Lebanese Customs, who thwarted an attempt to smuggle 47 kilogrammes of cocaine through Rafic Hariri International Airport into Lebanon from Accra. Salam commended the coordination and cooperation between the two Lebanese agencies, but made no mention of any involvement from Ghanaian authorities.
NACOC's acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations, Francis Opoku Amoah, explained that the decision to allow the suspected trafficker to leave Ghana was informed by the "controlled delivery" technique, which allows law enforcement agencies to track suspected drug consignments across borders. Amoah claimed that NACOC had monitored the suspect throughout his stay in Ghana and had information about his movements.
However, Bright Simons has raised several concerns about NACOC's explanation, citing a lack of mention of Ghanaian involvement in the Lebanese reports. Simons noted that in similar joint operations, the Lebanese anti-narcotics branch is usually prominently mentioned, but in this case, there was no mention of cooperation with Ghanaian authorities.
Simons also pointed out that Lebanese Customs sources reported that the passenger was suspected of paying a bribe at Accra airport to get his two suitcases through, which raises questions about NACOC's claim of supervising the operation. According to Simons, if NACOC had indeed decided to let the bags pass, it would have been under Ghanaian security supervision and authorised for clearance by the Director General of NACOC.
Furthermore, Simons highlighted that Lebanon's Law 673/1998 requires the Counter-Narcotics branch of the Internal Security Force (ISF) to be directly involved in controlled delivery scenarios. The fact that Lebanese investigators described the Accra leg as facilitated by corruption, despite NACOC's claim of prior knowledge and supervision, has raised further doubts about the validity of NACOC's explanation.
The incident has sparked a public discussion in Ghana about NACOC's handling of the operation, with many questioning the effectiveness of the agency's strategies in combating international drug trafficking. NACOC has announced that efforts are underway to pursue suspected accomplices in Ghana following the arrest of the Syrian national in Lebanon with the cocaine shipped through the Accra International Airport.
Key points
- Bright Simons questions NACOC's claim of joint operation with Lebanon in 47kg cocaine bust
- NACOC's explanation of 'controlled delivery' operation raises concerns about corruption and supervision
- Incident sparks public discussion in Ghana about NACOC's handling of international drug trafficking cases
