Government rejects ‘Cocaine Coast’ label, says drug busts show security agencies are working

Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has rejected claims that Ghana is becoming a “cocaine coast”, arguing that drug seizures and arrests demonstrate that security agencies are actively disrupting trafficking operations.

The Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP said it was misleading to lump all drug-related cases together and use them to portray Ghana as a hub for cocaine trafficking.

“You have to separate drug trafficking cases that escape the attention of law enforcement, and drug trafficking cases that law enforcement themselves disrupts or arrests people for,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday.

His comments come amid growing concerns over major drug seizures linked to Ghana.

The Minority in Parliament has pushed for an inquiry into the country’s alleged emergence as a narcotics transit hub. It cited a series of seizures, including the nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine intercepted by French customs in September.

The Minority subsequently sought the recall of Parliament to examine the issue. Parliament was recalled on September 29, although the Speaker later rejected the Minority’s proposed parliamentary inquiry.

Mr Ofosu-Kwakye, however, said drug cases detected and disrupted by Ghanaian agencies should not be presented as evidence that the country is a cocaine hub.

“So, if there are 12 cases, and two of them involve transhipment, or if you like exports of drugs outside of Ghana, you don’t put everything together and say Ghana is a volcano,” he said.

He pointed specifically to the role of the Narcotics Control Commission and the police in fighting illegal drug activity.

“What does NACOC exist to do? To apprehend and prevent drug trafficking, not so much drug use, illegal drug use, for that matter,” he said.

He argued that where security agencies arrest suspects or disrupt drug operations, that should be recognised as part of the fight against trafficking.

“So if they do the work, why do you say the country is a cooking coast?” he asked.

Mr Ofosu-Kwakye, however, acknowledged that drug consignments that evade Ghanaian security agencies and are intercepted abroad remain a concern.

He said President John Mahama had convened a meeting of security agencies over the issue and demanded stronger collaboration.

“The president was clear that he will not tolerate Ghana’s borders becoming a transit point for drug trafficking,” he said.

According to him, the meeting exposed tensions among agencies over control of the ports, including problems with information sharing.

“Each of them is trying to assert their supremacy over the posts, and so sometimes they don’t share information,” he said.

He said the President had directed the agencies to end the rivalry, share information and produce a roadmap to strengthen the country’s ports against drug trafficking.

“I want an end to this 10th battle. You must share information. You must collaborate,” he said.

Mr Ofosu-Kwakye said the government’s position was clear: Ghana must not become a transit point for international drug trafficking, even as he rejected attempts to describe every drug seizure as evidence that the country is a cocaine hub.

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