Drug Trade Scandal: Effiduase-Asokore MP Demands Bipartisan Parliamentary Probe Into Ghana’s Narcotics Crisis

The Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, is demanding an urgent bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into how tonnes of illicit drugs allegedly linked to Ghana continue to pass through the country’s security and exit systems.

In a post on his Facebook page, the MP said Ghana’s growing links to major international drug seizures are creating a serious national security concern and could damage the country’s reputation in the international community.

“The alarming frequency of major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana has triggered a fresh call for Parliament to launch a bipartisan investigation into the country’s vulnerability to international drug trafficking networks,” Dr. Afriyie stated.

With Ghana-linked narcotics consignments repeatedly turning up in major interceptions abroad, Dr. Ayew Afriyie said recent seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine and other narcotics connected to Ghanaian commercial channels should no longer be treated as isolated criminal incidents.

He warned that the mounting seizures could threaten Ghana’s national security, international reputation, legitimate businesses and credibility as a trusted trading hub.

According to the NPP Member of Parliament, the growing pattern raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of security controls at Ghana’s ports, airports, borders and other strategic exit points.

His call comes against the backdrop of a series of high-profile drug seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana.

In June 2026, Australian authorities intercepted approximately 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a consignment declared as charcoal and allegedly shipped from Ghana, prompting investigations by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other agencies.

The concerns were further heightened by the seizure in August of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari within the Tema Harbour enclave. Three suspects, including a Dutch national and two Ghanaians, were arrested.

Then, on September 10, French customs authorities seized 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at Dunkirk from a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of about €225 million, or approximately US$261 million.

For Dr. Ayew Afriyie, the issue has moved beyond the seizure of individual consignments. The Effiduase-Asokore MP argues that the critical national question must now be how such enormous quantities of narcotics can enter Ghana’s commercial and logistical networks and, in some cases, leave the country undetected before being intercepted thousands of kilometres away.

He maintains that every stage of the supply chain—from exporters and freight forwarders to scanning systems, port controls, customs processes and intelligence operations—must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny.

Concerns Over Ghana’s International Reputation

Dr. Ayew Afriyie further warned that the consequences could extend far beyond the narcotics themselves.

He argued that repeated international interceptions of consignments connected to Ghana could expose legitimate Ghanaian exporters, shipping companies, businesses and travellers to heightened scrutiny while potentially increasing the reputational and commercial costs associated with Ghanaian trade.

He wants Parliament to establish the facts, identify weaknesses in the national security chain and determine whether there has been negligence, institutional failure or criminal collusion.

He also called for particular attention to allegations that some government appointees may have been involved in narcotics-related activities.

For Dr. Ayew Afriyie, however, the investigation must not become a political witch-hunt.

He said officials, private-sector actors, security personnel, financiers, facilitators or members of organised criminal networks found to have participated in narcotics trafficking or deliberately compromised state security systems should face the full force of the law.

Calls for Stronger Security Measures

To address what he described as an international embarrassment, Dr. Ayew Afriyie proposed a number of measures.

He wants Ghana to significantly upgrade security at its major gateways, including Tema Port, Takoradi Port and Kotoka International Airport, through advanced scanning technology, specialised detection dogs and stronger cargo-screening protocols.

The MP is also demanding deeper intelligence cooperation with international partners, including Interpol and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

He argued that intelligence must be shared in real time to help identify trafficking networks before illicit consignments leave Ghanaian territory.