Ghana is emerging as a silent but strategic hub in the global cocaine trade, with a recent spike in high-profile drug seizures raising alarm about the country’s vulnerability to organised transnational crime.
Despite strict anti-narcotics laws and heightened security at ports and borders, the scale and frequency of cocaine interceptions in early 2025 have prompted urgent calls for accountability.
Experts warn that the pattern points to a deeply embedded trafficking network that could be eroding state institutions and compromising national security.
Leading the charge for answers is the Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism (ACSC), which on Monday, May 5, demanded immediate public updates on a string of major drug cases recorded in the first quarter of the year.
In a strongly worded statement, the centre criticised the government’s silence and called for transparency from law enforcement and the judiciary.
Among the most significant seizures was a 3.3-tonne cocaine bust, valued at $350 million, carried out by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Another high-value shipment, worth approximately $150 million, was intercepted on the Takoradi–Cape Coast highway.
Both cases made headlines but have since disappeared from the public radar.
“Two months on, there has been no clear information on the whereabouts of suspects, the status of prosecutions, or even the secure storage of the seized cocaine, this lack of transparency undermines public trust and raises fears of internal complicity,” the ACSC said.
Adding to the public concern are reports of suspicious aircraft landings at Kotoka International Airport, which triggered a presidential committee investigation.
However, the findings remain unpublished, deepening suspicions of a cover-up.
“These questions are not merely academic, Ghana’s reputation as a reliable state is at stake. Drug trafficking not only finances crime—it corrodes democracy by feeding corruption and weakening accountability,” the ACSC warned.
The centre is demanding the following:
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Immediate public updates on all Q1 2025 drug seizures
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Independent verification and secure handling of seized substances
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Full transparency on prosecutions and judicial proceedings
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Publication of the Kotoka Airport investigative report
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Stronger parliamentary oversight of law enforcement bodies
“When a democratic government becomes opaque about issues of such national consequence,” the centre concluded, “citizens have every reason to ask whether parts of the state are shielding traffickers rather than stopping them.”
As pressure mounts, many Ghanaians are asking: Is the country truly equipped or even willing to confront the cocaine crisis head-on?
Read the full statement by the Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism (ACSC)
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