The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to prioritize investigating major drug traffickers over arresting political opponents. He made this statement in response to the arrest and detention of the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah. Afenyo-Markin expressed concern that Ghanaians are yet to know who the financiers, organizers, and beneficiaries of the drug trade are.
According to Afenyo-Markin, within 15 months, nearly 4,500 kilograms of cocaine, worth almost $500 million, were seized at Amsterdam's port, hidden in timber from a Ghanaian company. Additionally, 3.9 tonnes of cocaine were shipped to Dunkirk from Ghana, and 320 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at A$296 million, reached Australia in a consignment containing Ghanaian charcoal. In Ghana, 3.3 tonnes of cocaine were intercepted at Pedu Junction.
Afenyo-Markin questioned the zeal of security agencies in pursuing the kingpins behind these drug seizures. He argued that the public impression of the government is that it prioritizes optics over focusing on critical issues. The Minority Leader emphasized that the state must show equal determination in fighting drug barons using Ghana as a major global transshipment hub.
The MP for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, was arrested by EOCO officials after a search of his office. EOCO urged the public to allow its officers to investigate allegations against Baffour Awuah without speculation. Afenyo-Markin demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Baffour Awuah from EOCO custody, calling for an end to the misuse of arrest and prosecution to intimidate political opponents.
According to a JoyNews report, Ghana has recorded 11 cocaine cases in 28 drug busts since March 2025, with the total street value of seized cocaine estimated at $1.7 billion. Afenyo-Markin stated that EOCO has statutory powers to investigate organized economic crime, trace criminal proceeds, and seek asset freezes and confiscation. He called for a public account of how these powers are being deployed against narcotics networks.
The Minority Leader also raised concerns about the government's handling of illegal mining, stating that the administration seems more interested in the foreign exchange earned from galamsey than the environmental and livelihood damage it causes. He recalled the July 2025 directive to investigate two NDC officials over illegal-mining allegations, which appears to have stalled.
Afenyo-Markin concluded by calling for a credible war on the drug trade, with EOCO and NACOC collaborating to follow the money, trace assets, and pursue kingpins. He emphasized that the use of investigative power must serve the public interest and be exercised fairly, regardless of political affiliation.
Key points
- The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for EOCO to focus on investigating major drug traffickers.
- Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, MP for Manhyia South, was arrested by EOCO officials.
- Ghana has recorded 11 cocaine cases in 28 drug busts since March 2025, with an estimated street value of $1.7 billion.
