Ghana Is Not No. 2 Narcotics Transit Hub In Africa — Faruok Al-Wahab Challenge The Claim
International Relations and Security Consultant Faruok Al-Wahab has rejected claims that Ghana has been ranked as the Africa’s second-largest narcotics transit hub, describing the assertion as inaccurate.
In a phone interview on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Al-Wahab insisted, no international poll or opinion poll has established Ghana as the number-two country in Africa for illicit drug trafficking or transfer.
He explained that narcotics trafficking is not peculiar to Ghana, stressing that several countries across the world have been used as transit routes.
Al-Wahab said trafficking networks operating between South America and Europe often exploit the West African coastline, citing Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana as countries along the belt.
He further argued that Ghana’s position along the coast, coupled with weaknesses in maritime monitoring across parts of West Africa, makes the region attractive to traffickers.
The security consultant also raised concerns about the ability of African countries to effectively patrol their waters, saying many lack adequate vessels and surveillance capabilities to combat narcotics trafficking and transfers at sea.
He cited Sierra Leone as an example, claiming the country currently has about 64 vessels abandoned along its river belt, some of which allegedly arrived as submarine-type vessels before being abandoned after their operations.
Al-Wahab also questioned intelligence coordination among Ghana’s security agencies, arguing that no security institution should prevent another from gathering intelligence within its operational domain.
He maintained that NACOC does not need another security agency to stop it from carrying out its operations, while calling for stronger intelligence gathering and coordination.
He further argued that Ghana lacks a sufficiently equipped Navy and Marine Police presence to effectively monitor its high seas and the Atlantic Ocean, claiming narcotics traffickers exploit such security gaps and use smaller licensed vessels with access to West African ports in their transactions as distance from South America to Africa is quite shorter than to Europe.
He disclosed that none of the West African countries at the belt have a radar control that covers a 100 nautical miles to monitor and prevent the activities of the traffickers, some doesn’t even have Navy or marine Police at all.
He entreated African governments to resource its security agencies, especially on marine belts to prevent the drug traffickers from exploiting their marine spaces.
By Maurice Otoo
