President John Dramani Mahama has convened a high-level meeting with key security, aviation and port-sector agencies to assess Ghana’s border-control systems and strengthen efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Jubilee House, follows the seizure by French customs authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of US$261 million, from a container shipped from Ghana.
An invitation issued by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, and cited by Citi News on Monday, September 14, stated that the meeting will focus on identifying weaknesses in Ghana’s border-control systems and developing practical measures to prevent the trafficking of narcotics and other illicit substances. The participating institutions have been instructed to attend with their respective heads, accompanied by no more than one technical officer with relevant expertise.
They have also been asked to present brief assessments of existing security vulnerabilities and recommend measures to strengthen intelligence sharing, surveillance, cargo screening and coordinated enforcement operations.
The meeting comes amid growing concerns over Ghana’s role in major international drug seizures. The Minority in Parliament has raised questions about the country’s response to such incidents, with the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, expressing concern over the absence of what he described as high-profile arrests and prosecutions in connection with major narcotics seizures.
The meeting is expected to include representatives from several key institutions, such as the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, operators of terminal scanners, Ghana Link Network Services Ltd, the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Ghana Navy, Meridian Port Services Ltd, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, Interpol, and the Narcotics Control Commission.
Additionally, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested three suspects allegedly connected to the ‘Bolle Jos’ cocaine trafficking network. This follows the seizure of a cocaine shipment by French customs. NACOC reports that the suspects are currently in custody and are assisting with investigations into their alleged involvement in this cocaine trafficking operation.
