The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has called for urgent and coordinated action against illicit drug trafficking and abuse, describing the menace as both a national security threat and a moral crisis.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 21, 2026, under the theme “Reclaiming the Soul of Our Nation: A Moral Call to Action against the Escalating Drug Menace in Ghana,” the Bishops warned that the growing narcotics trade is threatening young people, families, public institutions and the country’s future.
The statement, signed by the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani, followed the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs authorities at Dunkirk on September 10.
The cocaine, estimated to be worth €225 million on the street, was reportedly concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana, with part of the consignment allegedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.
Four Ghanaians — Desmond Koranteng Curiel, alias “Paul Kweku Yeboah” or “Biggs”; Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Otchere; and Jessica Hartog — have been arraigned before the High Court in Accra over the alleged shipment.
They face charges of conspiracy to export narcotic drugs without a licence and exportation of narcotic drugs and have been remanded to reappear on October 13, 2026.
A fifth accused, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, alias “Bolle Jos”, is reported to be at large.
The Bishops stressed that the accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty but said the scale of the alleged consignment required a thorough investigation into how it passed through Ghana’s commercial channels.
They commended the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other agencies involved in the investigation, as well as the President for establishing an inter-agency task force to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking through Ghana’s ports, airports and borders.
The Conference said the Dunkirk seizure formed part of a broader pattern of narcotics-related incidents linked to Ghana.
It cited the March 2025 seizure of a 3.3-tonne cocaine consignment allegedly concealed under sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, another cocaine interception on the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway, and suspected cocaine discovered in sacks of gari at a Tema Harbour warehouse.
The Bishops also referenced an unresolved case involving a flight from Gran Canaria allegedly carrying narcotics and undeclared currency, a vessel reportedly arrested abroad after previously being released following payment of a partial fine, and methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment intercepted by Australian customs.
The Conference further cited a memorandum submitted by more than 40 Members of Parliament on September 18, 2026, seeking the recall of Parliament from recess to examine the country’s response to the narcotics threat.
According to the Bishops, the MPs estimated that high-profile seizures linked to Ghana over the past two years were worth more than US$1 billion.
They also cited NACOC figures indicating that intelligence-led operations had resulted in 217 arrests and 165 prosecutions, with more than 8.5 tonnes of assorted narcotic drugs and 45.4 million tramadol tablets intercepted during the period under review.
The Bishops said Ghana’s response must extend beyond the arrest and prosecution of couriers to those who finance and coordinate trafficking networks.
They expressed concern that, in the Pedu Junction case, only the driver, a housemaid and some peripheral suspects had reportedly been arraigned more than a year after the seizure, while alleged financiers and principal traffickers remained unidentified.
“A pattern in which couriers are prosecuted while the networks that finance them escape scrutiny is the failure any credible national response must overcome,” the Conference said.
The Bishops therefore urged investigators to “follow the money” and identify the businesses, financial arrangements and networks allegedly sustaining the illicit trade.
They also drew attention to the reported arrest in March 2026 of nine public officers over a large consignment of undeclared tramadol at Tema Port. The officers reportedly included five Customs officials and personnel from NACOC, Port Security, the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority.
The Conference called for all public officials reasonably suspected of facilitating narcotics trafficking to be investigated regardless of their position or rank.
The Bishops urged government to strengthen coordination among the Police Service, NACOC, Customs, port authorities, the judiciary and educational institutions.
They called for improved scanning and surveillance systems at ports, airports and borders, timely prosecution where credible evidence exists, and full respect for constitutional rights and judicial independence.
They also urged stronger cooperation with INTERPOL and Europol to track transnational drug networks and locate wanted suspects.
The Conference welcomed the MPs’ call for Parliament to scrutinise Ghana’s narcotics control systems.
The proposed inquiry would involve the Ministers for the Interior, Transport and National Security, alongside NACOC, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and National Intelligence Bureau.
The institutions are expected to account for the adequacy of scanning, surveillance and clearance procedures at the country’s ports and airports.
The Bishops described the proposed parliamentary scrutiny as necessary and urged Parliament to proceed without delay.
They, however, cautioned against partisan point-scoring, saying the matter required “the sobriety proper to a matter of this gravity.”
The Conference stressed that the fight against drugs should not rely solely on arrests and prosecutions.
It called for stronger prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes to support people struggling with addiction, while urging government to address poverty and unemployment that can increase vulnerability to drug trafficking.
The Bishops also called on Catholic parishes, schools and youth organisations to intensify drug-prevention education, mentorship and pastoral support.
Parents and guardians, they said, must remain actively involved in the lives of their children by listening to their concerns, knowing their friends and providing moral and emotional support.
The Church also urged young people battling drug addiction to seek professional help rather than face the problem alone.
“To our young people we say plainly: do not be deceived by the temporary gains promised by the drug trade,” the Bishops stated. “Choose life. Build your future upon honest work, faith, education, virtue and service.”
The Bishops said the narcotics crisis required a national response involving government, Parliament, law-enforcement agencies, civil society, religious institutions, families and communities.
They stressed that the response must be firm and lawful while also focusing on prevention, rehabilitation and human dignity.
Quoting John 10:10, the Conference said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
The statement concluded with an appeal for Ghana to “choose life over destruction, integrity over corruption, and the common good over illicit wealth.”
By 1960news.com
