The New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Second Vice Chairman, Henry Nana Boakye, has called for the dismissal of heads of key state security and transport institutions following a series of cocaine and other narcotics seizures linked to Ghana between March 2025 and October 2026.
Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has accused the government of President John Dramani Mahama of failing to demonstrate decisive leadership in addressing the growing cases of international drug trafficking involving Ghana.
He has called for the immediate removal of the leadership of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and relevant National Security officials, arguing that the repeated seizures point to possible weaknesses in the country’s drug enforcement and border security systems.
Speaking at a press conference at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) headquarters in Accra, Nana B alleged that the government’s response to the incidents had been inadequate and had failed to restore confidence in Ghana’s ability to prevent the trafficking of narcotic substances through its ports and airports.
He further questioned why officials overseeing the institutions responsible for preventing drug trafficking remains in office despite what he described as repeated international embarrassment for the country.
The NPP executive’s comments follow reports of several cocaine and other narcotics seizures in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia involving consignments reportedly originating from Ghana.
Providing figures to support the party’s concerns, Nana B said the NPP had identified at least 14 major cocaine and illicit drug seizures between March 2025 and October 2026.
According to him, seven of the reported seizures occurred on Ghanaian soil, involving approximately four tonnes of narcotics, while more than 12 tonnes linked to Ghana were intercepted abroad.
He estimated the street value of the cocaine seized abroad at between US$1.3 billion and US$1.7 billion.
Among the incidents cited was the June 2025 seizure of nearly 4,500 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a consignment of wood originating from Ghana at the Port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
He also mentioned the November 2025 seizure of 2,829 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in cassava flour shipped from Tema to Antwerp, Belgium, followed by another seizure of 1,158 kilogrammes at the same port in December 2025.
In September 2026, French authorities intercepted approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container declared as plastic waste and reportedly shipped from Ghana to Dunkirk.
The seizure was estimated to have a street value of about €225 million.
Nana B further cited an April 2026 incident in which Australian authorities reportedly seized 320 kilogrammes of illicit drugs concealed in a charcoal consignment from Ghana, with an estimated value of US$210 million.
He also referred to a heroin seizure involving a South African national at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in October 2026.
The NPP official argued that the frequency and volume of the reported seizures raised questions about the effectiveness of Ghana’s port, airport and border security arrangements.
He maintained that the incidents could undermine international confidence in Ghanaian exports and expose legitimate Ghanaian travellers to increased scrutiny at foreign entry points.
The latest incident that triggered the NPP’s renewed criticism involved a Syrian national arrested at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 31, 2026.
The suspect, identified only by his initials, B.H., had arrived from Accra aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576.
Lebanese Customs said officers discovered 40 packages of cocaine weighing 46.7 kilogrammes in his two suitcases. Electronic tracking devices were also reportedly found among the packages.
Lebanese authorities described the interception as the largest cocaine seizure in the history of Beirut’s international airport.
According to a report by Lebanese broadcaster LBCI, the suspect had travelled from Lebanon to Accra before returning to Beirut with the cocaine shipment.
The broadcaster, citing Lebanese customs sources, reported that the suspect was allegedly expected to receive US$3,000 for transporting the drugs and handing them over to another individual outside the airport.
Investigations are reportedly ongoing to identify the intended recipient and other individuals connected to the operation. MTV Lebanon +1
Nana B questioned how such a quantity of cocaine could have passed through the Accra International Airport despite the security measures introduced following earlier drug trafficking incidents.
He argued that the incident, coming weeks after President Mahama convened an emergency security meeting over drug trafficking concerns, raises questions about the effectiveness of the measures announced by the government.
A major concern raised by the NPP concerns NACOC’s explanation that the Beirut seizure resulted from a controlled delivery operation conducted in collaboration with Lebanese law enforcement authorities.
In a statement issued on November 1, 2026, NACOC confirmed the arrest of the Syrian national and said the operation was designed to identify and apprehend individuals operating at both ends of the drug supply chain.
The Commission explained that allowing the consignment to travel was part of a coordinated intelligence-gathering exercise intended to dismantle the wider international trafficking network.
However, Nana B rejected the explanation, insisting that the Commission had failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate its account of the operation.
He questioned why the Commission had not provided detailed information about the alleged Ghanaian accomplices and the nature of the collaboration with Lebanese authorities.
He also raised concerns about discrepancies between the quantities reported by the two countries.
While Lebanese Customs reported 46.7 kilogrammes, NACOC initially described the consignment as approximately 40 kilogrammes.
Nana B interpreted the difference as evidence of inconsistencies in the Commission’s account.
However, a subsequent report by LBCI explained that the 40-kilogramme figure represented the weight of the cocaine itself, while the 46.7-kilogramme figure included the packaging materials, accounting for the difference.
Nana B also questioned the difference in the dates cited in the respective accounts of the operation, insisting that NACOC needed to provide a comprehensive explanation.
He maintained that the Commission’s explanation would only gain public confidence if supported by verifiable information from the Lebanese authorities.
The NPP executive also challenged the government’s account of arrests allegedly made in Ghana following the Beirut interception.
He said conflicting public statements by the Ministry of the Interior and NACOC officials had created uncertainty about whether suspects had actually been arrested.
According to him, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Julius Kwame Anthony, and NACOC’s Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination, Alexander Twum-Barimah, provided different accounts when questioned about the arrests during separate media appearances.
Nana B said the apparent contradictions has further weakened public confidence in the investigation.
He demanded that the authorities publish the identities of the suspects, their nationalities, the offences for which they were being investigated and the progress of any prosecution.
He argued that the public deserves more than general assurances that arrests has been made, particularly given the international attention surrounding the case.
NACOC, in its earlier statement, had said it was pursuing suspected accomplices in Ghana as part of the wider investigation.
The NPP, however, wants the government to provide detailed and independently verifiable information about the alleged arrests.
Nana B also revived concerns surrounding Musah Atta, popularly known as Kromu, who is among four Ghanaians charged in connection with the cocaine trafficking investigation linked to the September 2026 Dunkirk seizure.
He alleged that photographs and videos in circulation showed Atta operating within the close security cordon of President Mahama and Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
According to him, the circumstances under which Atta gained access to the security environment of the country’s two highest officeholders required further investigation.
He questioned who authorised the alleged access and whether appropriate security screening procedures had been followed.
NACOC has reportedly described Atta as a farmer who was not a member of the President’s security detail.
Nana B nevertheless insisted that the government must explain the circumstances surrounding the photographs and the relationship between the accused person and the presidential security establishment.
He also called for regular public updates on the prosecution of Atta and his co-accused.
The NPP official further criticised the government over what he described as its failure to publish the roadmap of an inter-agency task force established to address drug trafficking through Ghana’s ports and airports.
He recalled that following the September 2026 cocaine seizure at Dunkirk, President Mahama convened an emergency security meeting and directed an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap within two weeks.
According to Nana B, the deadline expired on October 1, 2026, but the government had yet to make the document public as of the November 4 press conference.
He questioned why the government had not provided Ghanaians with details of the proposed interventions and the progress made in implementing them.
The NPP is demanding that the President publish the roadmap within seven days.
The party also wants a joint statement from the Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities clarifying whether the Beirut interception was indeed part of a Ghanaian-led controlled delivery operation and when Ghanaian authorities were first informed about the case.
Beyond the drug seizures, Nana B raised concerns about the issuance of diplomatic and service passports, suggesting that the government should investigate whether such travel documents had been granted to individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements.
He claimed that information gathered by the party suggests that nearly 300 individuals might have obtained diplomatic or service passports without meeting the necessary qualifications.
He therefore called on the government to publish details of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025.
The information, he said, should include the names of the beneficiaries, their qualifications and the authorities responsible for approving the documents.
He argued that transparency in the issuance of such passports is necessary to prevent possible abuse of official travel privileges.
The NPP also raised concerns about the direct maritime shipping arrangement between the Port of Tema and the Port of Cartagena in Colombia.
Nana B recalled that the government had agreed to establish the direct shipping connection following negotiations in Bogotá in March 2025.
He noted that Colombia is a major source of cocaine trafficking globally and argued that the government need to explain the additional security measures introduced to monitor cargo transported along the route.
The party insists that the government should disclose the volume and nature of cargo transported through the arrangement since its introduction.
It is also demanding the suspension of the Tema-Cartagena shipping connection until a comprehensive security assessment is completed and presented to Parliament.
As part of its proposed measures, the opposition party is demanding a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into all Ghana-linked cocaine seizures recorded since January 2025.
Nana B said the inquiry should conduct public hearings to establish how the narcotics passed through Ghana’s security systems and identify any individuals or institutions that might have facilitated the operations.
He indicated that the NPP had previously raised the matter in Parliament but was unsuccessful in securing the proposed inquiry.
He added that the party intend to pursue the matter again through Parliament.
The party’s demands include:
1. The establishment of a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry with public hearings into all Ghana-linked cocaine seizures since January 2025.
2. Publication of the roadmap prepared by the inter-agency task force established by President Mahama, within seven days.
3. A joint statement by Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities clarifying the circumstances surrounding the Beirut cocaine seizure and the alleged controlled delivery operation.
4. Publication of the names, nationalities and charges of all suspects arrested in Ghana in connection with the Beirut case, alongside their prompt arraignment before the courts where appropriate.
5. Investigation, arrest and prosecution of any public officials found to have accepted bribes or facilitated the movement of the cocaine through the Accra International Airport.
6. Immediate removal of the heads of NACOC, Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and National Security, pending independent investigations into the reported trafficking incidents.
7. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged access of Musah Atta, also known as Kromu, to the presidential and vice-presidential security cordons.
8. Publication of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025 and cancellation of documents found to have been improperly issued.
9. Suspension of the Tema-Cartagena direct shipping arrangement until a comprehensive security review is completed and presented to Parliament, alongside disclosure of cargo transported through the route.
Concluding his remarks, Nana B warned that the repeated association of Ghana with international drug trafficking could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s reputation, economy and national security.
He argued that drug trafficking networks often operate alongside other criminal activities, including money laundering, bribery, corruption and the illegal movement of firearms.
He warned that allowing such networks to establish themselves could expose the country to security challenges experienced in other parts of Africa and Latin America.
He further expressed concern that legitimate Ghanaian exporters and travellers could suffer the consequences of increased suspicion at international ports and airports because of the activities of criminal networks.
The NPP executive urged President Mahama to demonstrate what he described as decisive leadership by holding officials accountable and introducing stronger measures to protect the country’s borders.
He maintained that the government must move beyond public assurances and provide concrete evidence of progress in tackling drug trafficking.
By 1960news.com
