The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has called for major reforms in Ghana’s port security systems following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France.
French customs authorities intercepted the consignment at the port of Dunkirk on September 10. The cocaine, valued at about €225 million, was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Saturday, September 19, Mr Amoah said the development exposed weaknesses in the systems used to screen and clear containers at Ghana’s ports.
According to him, the focus should not be limited to arresting people suspected of being involved in the shipment but should also address the processes that allowed the container to leave Ghana.
He said the container had reportedly been flagged by the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) and subjected to scanning before it was cleared.
Mr Amoah questioned how a flagged consignment could still pass through the system, arguing that allowing human intervention to override alerts from scanning technology creates room for abuse.
He stressed that Ghana must develop a system where scanner alerts automatically trigger further checks and cannot simply be bypassed by individuals.
“If we don’t take care, we will jail our people as if they are the origin of the drugs,” he said, stressing the need to address what he described as a wider systemic problem.
Mr Amoah also urged political actors to avoid turning the issue into a contest between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), saying partisan arguments would not solve the weaknesses in Ghana’s port security architecture.
His comments come as the government investigates the cocaine case. President John Dramani Mahama has directed the formation of an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap for preventing drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders.
The task force has two weeks to submit its recommendations.
The Presidency has also said 10 people, including four Customs Division officers of the Ghana Revenue Authority, are being held as investigations continue.
