NPP Accuses Government Of Turning Ghana Into “Cocaine Coast”, Demands Immediate Sack Of Security Chiefs

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government under President John Dramani Mahama of presiding over what it describes as Ghana’s descent into a major international drug trafficking hub.

At a press conference addressed by its National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, at the party’s head office in Accra on Monday, the NPP said Ghana is no longer at risk of becoming a drug transit point, but has already become one.

“Under the watch of President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC government, Ghana is no longer merely at risk of becoming a hub for international drug trafficking, the evidence before us shows we have arrived. Ghana has become a Cocaine Coast, and this Government must own that shame and quickly find a solution to this mess,” the statement said.

The party alleged that the country’s troubles go beyond seizures, claiming that complicity by officials at ports and airports, as well as the existence of clandestine laboratories processing narcotics within the country for export, are responsible for the increasing volumes of drugs traced to Ghana in foreign jurisdictions.

Mr. Boakye drew parallels to the Nayele Ametefe scandal under the first Mahama administration, saying the pattern of alleged official complicity had returned and grown worse.

According to the NPP, at least four major drug interceptions connected to Ghana were recorded just this past Sunday, both within Ghana and abroad, which the party said points to a pattern that demands accountability.

The party criticized the President’s response to the crisis, saying he had chosen to invite security officials to a meeting rather than relieve them of their duties.

Twelve Seizures Listed

The NPP listed twelve major narcotics interceptions it says are linked to Ghana between March 2025 and September 2026, with a total estimated street value exceeding US$1 billion.

Among the local seizures cited are:

1. March 4, 2025, Pedu Junction, Cape Coast: 3,319.66 kilograms, over 3.3 tonnes, of cocaine concealed under sand in a tipper truck, valued at US$350 million.
2. March 2025, Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway: Approximately 120 slabs of cocaine valued at US$150 million.
3. March 2025, Kotoka International Airport: Two aircraft, AirMed Flight N823AM and a Cavok Air Antonov AN-12B from Gran Canaria, Spain, allegedly carrying narcotics and undeclared US currency.
4. April 23, 2025, Swissport Cargo Terminal, KIA: 73 slabs of cocaine weighing 89.74kg hidden in wooden boxes declared as traditional artefacts, destined for the Netherlands.
5. July 2025, MV Sankofa Vessel: Concerns over the release of a vessel sailing under a forged flag after paying part of a GH¢12 million fine.
6. February 2026, KIA: Arrest of a senior manager of a manufacturing company for allegedly concealing cocaine inside packaged gari for export.
7. August 2026, Tema Harbour: 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari at a warehouse, with London as intended destination.

For international interceptions traced to Ghana, the party mentioned:

8. 2025, Netherlands: 250kg of cocaine concealed in branded Ghanaian food products.
9. *December 4, 2025, Belgium:* 1.158 tonnes of suspected cocaine destined for Antwerp, uncovered through a Ghana-Belgium joint investigation.
10. April 2026, Port Botany, Sydney, Australia: 320kg of methamphetamine in charcoal shipped from Ghana, valued at US$208 million.
11. September 7, 2026, Port of Dunkirk, France: 167 packages with nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine hidden in plastic waste from Ghana, valued at €225 million. Three suspects were arrested in Ghana, with links to Dutch fugitive Jas Jakan Anj, alias “By Jo”.
12. September 2026, South Africa: Heroin worth $123,000 seized from a passenger arriving from Accra to Johannesburg.

The NPP said cartels are now using Ghana’s legitimate export economy – from gari to charcoal to artefacts to plastic waste – as cover, which it described as a verdict on port and airport security.

Questions Over Tema Port Commander

The party also raised questions about the leadership at Tema Port, alleging that the officer commanding the port had reached retirement age but had his contract extended by government.

“It is under this command that Tema has earned the reputation of a corridor for cocaine,” the NPP said, asking President Mahama to explain the extension and questioning whether it was based on competence or family relationship to the finance minister.

The party further raised concerns over the arrest of one Musah Atta, linked to the Dunkirk seizure, whom it claimed pictorial and video evidence shows had been part of the presidential and vice-presidential security detail at various points.

Four Demands

In conclusion, the NPP made four demands:

First, the immediate recall of Parliament from recess and the establishment of a special bipartisan committee with powers to summon witnesses and compel documents under Article 103(6) of the Constitution to conduct a public inquiry.

Second, the immediate removal of several institutional heads including the Ag. Director-General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Director-General of Ghana Maritime Authority, CEO of Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Director-General of NACOC, National Security Coordinator, Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau, Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Commissioner-General of Customs Division, and the Inspector-General of Police.

Third, full accountability focused on financiers and organisers behind the seizures, not just low-level couriers.

Fourth, a transparent, time-bound probe into official complicity, including any connection between individuals with access to the Presidency and the trade.

The party also condemned what it described as an attempt to distract Ghanaians from the crisis through the arrest and remand of Salomey Awiti Baffoe, a senior nursing officer and mother of three from Techiman, over her alleged connection to the “Ghana Jollof” account.

“Mr. President, you promised Ghanaians a 24-Hour Economy. You did not promise them 24-Hour Cocaine Trafficking,” Mr. Boakye said.

The government and the agencies mentioned are yet to respond to the allegations.