Former Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Alexander Abban, has demanded a review of Ghana’s port inspection regime after French customs seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine from a container shipped from Ghana to France.
Abban said all state agencies with specialised roles at the ports should be permitted to conduct their respective inspections to prevent illicit or harmful items from leaving the country undetected. Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, September 19, he questioned whether Ghana’s port inspection system places enough emphasis on identifying prohibited items beyond revenue collection.
He also challenged the reported restriction of Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) personnel from physical container inspections, arguing that their expertise could be vital in detecting narcotics. “If one of the purposes is to establish that something illicit has also been brought into the country, what would be the justification for withdrawing the NACOC people who are trained to identify those from the many state agencies at the port?” he asked.
Abban raised doubts about the effectiveness of scanning systems and whether the container had been flagged for further physical inspection. “Do we have any evidence that probably the scanner even captured something and flagged it, which required further physical inspection to know what exactly it was?” he queried.
The container, carrying plastic waste, arrived at Dunkirk from Ghana on September 10 and was seized by French Customs authorities, with the cocaine valued at about €225 million. Abban cautioned against prematurely disclosing the identities of people arrested in connection with the case, saying their reputations should be protected until investigations establish their involvement. He said authorities must provide sufficient information about the arrests to ensure transparency and public accountability.
Abban’s remarks come as Ghana faces scrutiny over its port security protocols, with calls for broader participation from specialised agencies such as NACOC to strengthen the country’s fight against drug trafficking.
