'How many more cocaine seizures before this government accepts' - Osei-Asare asks

The Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, has questioned the government’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking, following a series of cocaine seizures involving shipments linked to Ghana.

The former Deputy Finance Minister is calling for an independent, bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the incidents, arguing that the repeated interceptions raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s anti-narcotics operations and the accountability of those responsible for enforcing the law.

In a Facebook post, the Minority MP drew attention to several reported cocaine seizures at Pedu, Takoradi and Tema, as well as Ghana-linked shipments intercepted in Australia and Dunkirk.

She also highlighted a recent operation in Beirut, Lebanon, where Lebanese Customs reportedly seized 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine. However, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) subsequently put the quantity at approximately 40 kilogrammes in its statement.

The developments have prompted Ms. Osei-Asare to demand greater transparency from the government, questioning how many more drug interceptions must occur before authorities provide Ghanaians with a comprehensive account of the situation.

“How many more seizures before this Government accepts that Ghana deserves answers?” she asked.

40kg Cocaine Bust in Beirut: NACOC hunts accomplices in Ghana

Her concerns come weeks after the Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, assured Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on October 20 that measures were being strengthened to prevent drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders.

The minister outlined plans to improve screening at the country’s airports and introduce additional security checks at entry and exit points.

However, Ms. Osei-Asare has questioned the effectiveness of those measures in the wake of the reported cocaine interception in Lebanon.

“On 20 October, the Interior Minister assured the Public Accounts Committee of stronger airport screening and additional checks against drug trafficking. So what happened here?” she queried.

She also challenged NACOC’s description of the Beirut operation as a “controlled delivery”, particularly its disclosure that investigations were ongoing to identify and apprehend other suspected accomplices believed to be in Ghana.

While acknowledging that arrests in such operations may not necessarily happen simultaneously, the MP questioned the decision to publicise the operation when other suspected members of the trafficking network were yet to be apprehended.

“NACOC calls the arrest a ‘controlled delivery’, yet says it is still pursuing the accomplices in Ghana. Arrests need not be simultaneous. But why publicise the operation while those accomplices remain at large? Are we trying to catch them or warn them?” she questioned.

She further demanded clarification on the arrangements made to track down those behind the shipment, particularly if authorities had detected it and deliberately allowed it to proceed as part of a controlled operation.

“If the shipment was detected and deliberately allowed through, what arrangements were made to secure the people behind it in Ghana?” she asked.

Osei-Asare also called for accountability over previous investigations, insisting that the government must provide answers about the individuals and networks involved in the alleged trafficking operations.

“The Mahama government cannot claim credit for coordination while avoiding scrutiny of the results. Who organised this shipment? Who financed it? What has become of the earlier investigations?” she added.





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