Drug trafficking: Scale of recent cases under NDC concerning – Akosua Manu

Akosua Manu, Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has raised concerns over what she described as the “quantum and excessiveness” of recent drug trafficking cases recorded under the current NDC administration.

Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Ms Manu acknowledged that drug trafficking has been a challenge for successive Ghanaian governments, dating back to previous administrations.

However, she argued that the scale of recent cases warrants closer scrutiny of the systems and institutions responsible for preventing the trafficking of narcotics through Ghana.

The drug fight is not exempt to any administration. It’s the quantum and the excessiveness of it,” she said.

Her comments come amid investigations into a major cocaine shipment linked to Ghana that was intercepted by French customs authorities at the port of Dunkirk on September 10.

French authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. The consignment was estimated to have a street value of about €225 million, with part of it reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

The seizure has triggered investigations in Ghana into how the shipment allegedly passed through the country’s export-control and customs systems.

Ms Manu questioned the effectiveness of institutions including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), National Security and airport security authorities in detecting and preventing large-scale drug trafficking.

She argued that the authorities must provide answers on how such a significant quantity of narcotics could allegedly leave Ghana without being detected.

“When you have to explain why, in a sudden, in under a year, $1 billion is transiting in this small country of ours, 34 million people, then there’s a problem,” she said.

Her comments come as Ghanaian authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment.

The Kwabenya Circuit Court in Accra has denied bail to six people accused of being connected to the alleged exportation of the shipment. Four of the accused are linked to the Ghana Revenue Authority and face allegations concerning the handling of Customs scanning procedures at Tema Port.

Separately, four Ghanaians have been arraigned before the High Court in Accra over the alleged exportation of about four tonnes of cocaine to France. They have been remanded in custody and are scheduled to reappear on October 13, 2026.

Ms Manu called for greater scrutiny of Ghana’s border-control and security systems, particularly the mechanisms used to monitor the movement of goods through the country.

She said the government and relevant security agencies must examine how large quantities of narcotics can allegedly move through Ghana’s ports and other points of exit without detection.

Her remarks add to growing calls from public officials for investigations into the recent cocaine seizure and the systems through which the shipment allegedly passed.

The circumstances surrounding the shipment remain subject to ongoing investigations and court proceedings, with the authorities expected to establish how the containers were prepared, scanned, cleared and exported from Ghana.