Managing Editor of the Herald Newspaper, Larry Dogbey, said on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, September 19, 2026, that a large quantity of cocaine is currently trapped in Ghana and is struggling to be moved out of the country. He said the information raises fresh questions about the scale of narcotics trafficking in Ghana and the effectiveness of controls at the country’s ports.
Dogbey questioned the reported withdrawal of Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) personnel from key ports, including Tema and Takoradi, and called for clarity on who authorised the move and why. “Who did that withdrawal and what was the purpose for the withdrawal? We can’t just pretend that those things are not critical questions for us to ask and that we don’t need answers,” he said.
The issue warrants scrutiny in light of recent major cocaine seizures linked to Ghana. French customs authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, valued at about €225 million, from a container of plastic waste that arrived at the Port of Dunkirk from Ghana on September 10. Six people have since been arraigned before the Kwabenya Circuit Court in connection with the shipment. They were denied bail and remanded until September 24 as investigations continue. Four of the accused are officers of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division. According to the prosecution, the four containers linked to the shipment were scanned before export and the images were deemed abnormal, but the containers were allegedly cleared and allowed to leave Ghana.
Dogbey’s comments come amid growing concern that NACOC may lack the numbers to fight drug trafficking effectively. The situation highlights the need for transparent oversight of port security and narcotics control operations in Ghana.
