Ghana’s Rising Threat: Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering – Palgrave Boakye- Danquah

Ghana is facing a grave threat from escalating drug trafficking and money laundering activities, warns Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, Governance Specialist and Security Strategist. The Africa Institute on Governance and Security (AIGS) is sounding the alarm, urging the government to take immediate action against these illicit activities.

The Alarming Rise of Cocaine Trafficking
Cocaine trafficking is on the rise, with Ghana potentially becoming a hub for transnational organized crime. This poses significant risks to the country’s governance structures, national security, and socioeconomic well-being. The consequences of inaction would be devastating, including eroded public trust in institutions, heightened corruption, increased violence, and a crippled economy.

A Call to Action
AIGS is calling for a comprehensive strategy to combat drug trafficking and money laundering, including ¹:
Bolstering Law Enforcement: Enhancing training and equipping agencies like the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and the Ghana Police Service.
Fortifying Anti-Money Laundering Measures: Strengthening the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and enhancing regulatory frameworks for banks and financial institutions.
Regional Cooperation: Collaborating with regional bodies like the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and international partners like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Investigation and Action
GIABA is urged to launch a thorough investigation into the scope and impact of these crimes in Ghana, identifying key actors and proposing evidence-based solutions. This collective effort is essential to protect Ghana’s future and preserve its reputation as a democratic and peaceful nation.

Conclusion
The time for decisive intervention is now. Ghana stands at a critical juncture, and inaction could have far-reaching consequences. Collaborative action between the government, regional bodies, and local stakeholders is imperative to combat these threats and uphold Ghana’s historical standing as a beacon of stability and progress in West Africa.

Read full release below:

Press Statement – AIGS

The Africa Institute on Governance and Security (AIGS) issues a stern and unequivocal caution to the Ghanaian government concerning the deeply troubling and escalating traits of drug trafficking, money laundering, and the widespread proliferation of cocaine within the country. These illicit activities represent a multifaceted and existential threat to Ghana’s governance structures, national security apparatus, and socioeconomic well-being, with the potential to destabilize the nation if left unchecked. The alarming rise in these criminal enterprises is not merely a domestic issue but a reflection of Ghana’s increasing entanglement in the web of transnational organized crime, which exploits vulnerabilities such as porous borders, institutional weaknesses, and insufficient resources to thrive.

AIGS strongly urges the Ghanaian government to take immediate and resolute action to confront this growing menace head-on. This requires a comprehensive strategy that includes significantly bolstering law enforcement efforts through increased training, better equipping agencies like the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and the Ghana Police Service, and fostering greater interagency collaboration to target and disrupt the operational networks behind these crimes. Equally critical is the need to fortify anti-money laundering measures by strengthening the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), enhancing regulatory frameworks for banks and financial institutions, and cracking down on the informal financial systems that facilitate the laundering of illicit proceeds. Oversight mechanisms must also be enhanced, ensuring transparency and accountability in both public and private sectors to close the gaps that criminal syndicates exploit.

Moreover, AIGS emphatically calls upon the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), a specialized ECOWAS institution with a proven mandate to combat financial crimes across the region, to launch a thorough and independent investigation into the scope and impact of drug trafficking, money laundering, and cocaine proliferation in Ghana. GIABA’s regional expertise, coupled with its access to intelligence-sharing networks and its role in conducting mutual evaluations, positions it uniquely to uncover the full extent of these criminal activities, identify key actors—both domestic and international—and propose actionable, evidence-based solutions tailored to Ghana’s context. Such an investigation could serve as a catalyst for broader regional cooperation, given the cross-border nature of these threats, and provide a roadmap for dismantling the entrenched networks that undermine West African stability.

The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated. The time for decisive intervention is now, as Ghana stands at a critical juncture where inaction could allow these illicit activities to take deeper root, transforming the country into a conduit—or worse, a hub—for transnational organized crime. The consequences of such a trajectory would be devastating: eroded public trust in institutions, heightened corruption, increased violence, and a crippled economy unable to deliver prosperity to its citizens. AIGS stresses that Ghana must not succumb to these perils, which have already destabilized other nations in the region, such as Guinea-Bissau, once labeled a “narco-state” due to similar unchecked criminal infiltration.

Collaborative action is not just advisable but imperative. The Ghanaian government must work hand-in-hand with regional bodies like GIABA, international partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and local stakeholders—including civil society and the private sector—to mount a unified response. This collective effort is essential to protect Ghana’s future, preserve its hard-earned reputation as a democratic and peaceful nation, and uphold its historical standing as a beacon of stability and progress in West Africa. Failure to act risks not only Ghana’s sovereignty but also the broader security architecture of the region, making this a clarion call for leadership, resolve, and solidarity in the face of a clear and present danger.

Signed,
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah
Governance Specialist and Security Strategist