Over 6,000 security service applicants test positive for illicit drugs - NACOC

More than 6,000 applicants seeking recruitment into Ghana’s security services have tested positive for illicit drugs after undergoing mandatory screening, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has revealed.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh on July 1, 2026, the Director-General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, disclosed this during the recent commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Accra.

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He said the affected applicants represent about seven percent of all candidates screened for recruitment into the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Ambulance Service.

The substances detected included cannabis, cocaine, and tramadol.

Brig Gen Mantey described the findings as alarming, stressing the need for stronger preventive interventions to curb drug abuse among young people.

“If we cannot secure the people who guard our streets, how do we secure the country?” he asked.

“This is not a cause for despair. It is a call for urgent, systematic action,” he added.

He further cited the 2025 World Drug Report, which estimates that about 316 million people globally use illicit drugs, with the illicit drug trade generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually for organised criminal networks.

According to him, criminal organisations are increasingly adopting sophisticated methods of trafficking drugs, including new production techniques, encrypted digital platforms, and concealed transit routes.

He noted that Ghana recently intercepted methamphetamine concealed in bags of charcoal.

Brig Gen Mantey noted that the country is facing a growing challenge from synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances, which are often more potent, more addictive, and harder to detect.

He noted that drug traffickers continue to exploit digital technology and commercial trade routes.

He disclosed that between 2025 and April 2026, NACOC recorded 2,217 arrests and 165 prosecutions, while more than 8.5 tonnes of narcotic drugs were seized.

JKB/VPO

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