… The call was made by a Ghanaian delegation led by the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, at the 33rd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF) in Vienna, Austria. …
… The Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, said the Commission would strictly enforce the regulatory framework governing the cultivation and use of cannabis within the permitted 0.3 per cent THC threshold. …
… The engagement, led by NACOC Director-General, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, focused on practical measures to curb the use, distribution and sale of illicit drugs on campus. …
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has urged officers being trained as prosecutors to uphold integrity, professionalism and fairness in handling narcotics-related cases. …
… Narcotics Control Commission Director-General, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, cautioned young people against illicit drug use and urged them to make choices that protect their health, education and future. …
Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), says the Commission is collaborating with all key relevant state security agencies to ensure that points of entry and exit across the country are manned and safeguarded. …
Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), says the Commission is collaborating with all key relevant state security agencies to ensure that points of entry and exit across the country are manned and safeguarded. …
… Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, Director-General of NACOC, receiving the motorcycles on behalf of the Commission, expressed appreciation to the CEO of Aboboyaa Group of Companies for the gesture and commended him for his commitment to supporting the Commission’s mandate. …
… APPRECIATION Receiving the items, the Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as a major boost to the Commission’s operations. …
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has cautioned young people against misconceptions about cannabis, stressing that its plant-based origin does not make it harmless. …
Ghana's delegation at the 33rd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa in Vienna called for stronger regional and international cooperation to combat drug trafficking and transnational organised crime. During the period under review, NACOC and partner security agencies made 217 arrests and 165 prosecutions, intercepting more than 8.5 tonnes of assorted narcotic drugs and 45.4 million tramadol tablets.
Ghana's delegation at the 33rd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa in Vienna called for stronger regional and international cooperation to combat drug trafficking and transnational organised crime. During the period under review, NACOC and partner security agencies made 217 arrests and 165 prosecutions, intercepting more than 8.5 tonnes of assorted narcotic drugs and 45.4 million tramadol tablets.
The Narcotics Control Commission has partnered with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to advance research, innovation and sustainable cultivation of cannabis with not more than 0.3 per cent THC content, aiming to support development of industrial and medicinal applications of hemp while maintaining strict regulatory oversight.
The Narcotics Control Commission has engaged the University of Ghana to strengthen efforts against substance abuse among students, focusing on curbing the use, distribution and sale of illicit drugs on campus. The discussions highlighted concern about cannabis-laced edible products being sold to students and the need for closer cooperation on prevention, education and support services.
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission urged officers being trained as prosecutors to maintain integrity, professionalism and fairness in handling narcotics cases, warning that poor investigations and inadequate case preparation could undermine justice and weaken public confidence in the justice system.
Minister George Opare Addo opened the National Youth Forum 2026 at UPSA in Accra, bringing together young people and heads of youth-focused agencies to discuss challenges and opportunities. The forum provided a platform for youth to raise concerns and propose solutions, with agency heads outlining available programmes.
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission says the agency is collaborating with state security bodies to secure Ghana's points of entry and exit to prevent drug trafficking and organised crime. He stressed the need for regional cooperation, intelligence sharing, and investment in modern equipment and technology to tackle cross-border criminal operations.
Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission, says NACOC is collaborating with security agencies to safeguard entry and exit points and prevent drug trafficking and organised crime. He emphasised the need for regional cooperation, intelligence sharing, modern equipment, and investment in forensic capabilities and technology.
The CEO of Aboboyaa Group of Companies has donated two motorcycles to the Narcotics Control Commission's Ashanti Regional Command to enhance operational mobility in combating substance abuse and drug trafficking in the region.
Mood Digital Services Limited (MDSL) has donated IT equipment including 50 laptops, five iPads, servers, printers, projectors, and a drone to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of its corporate social responsibility. MDSL's CEO said the company also plans to help NACOC develop a national incident reporting system with real-time reporting and data analysis capabilities.
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission cautioned young people against misconceptions about cannabis, stating that its plant-based origin does not make it harmless and that it can impair memory, judgment, and decision-making. He challenged the belief that cannabis is safe because it comes from a plant or that it can improve intellectual abilities, urging youth to rely on credible scientific information.
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission reported that HIV prevalence among people who use drugs in the Ashanti Region stands at 6.6%, compared with the national prevalence rate of 1.4%. According to 2025 research by the University of Ghana School of Public Health, 82,500 people use drugs in Ghana, with 16,300 in the Ashanti Region.
Mood Digital Services Limited has donated IT equipment to the Narcotics Control Commission, including 50 laptops, five iPads, two industrial printers, two enterprise-grade servers, 12 UPS units, five projectors, one drone and four all-in-one computers. The company also offered to develop a national incident reporting system to enable remote reporting from NACOC's regional offices.
Mood Digital Services Ltd has donated 50 HP laptops and other IT equipment to the Narcotics Control Commission to strengthen its capacity to detect and disrupt drug trafficking conducted through digital and cyber platforms. The Director-General said the equipment would enhance NACOC's operational capacity and intelligence-gathering capabilities to combat emerging forms of narcotics-related cybercrime.
Two Ghanaian companies, MJ Adom Limited and Juliotpa Limited, have become the first to receive licences to cultivate cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes under a government regulated pilot programme. The three-year licences permit cultivation of cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of not more than 0.3 per cent, following a rigorous technical and regulatory assessment.
The Narcotics Control Commission has issued Ghana's first cannabis cultivation licences to MG Adom Limited and Juliopta Limited for industrial, medicinal and research purposes. The licences permit cultivation of cannabis containing no more than 0.3 per cent THC, while recreational cannabis remains illegal in Ghana.
The Ghana Navy and Narcotics Control Commission renewed their commitment to inter-agency collaboration during a courtesy visit, with NACOC's Director-General commending the Navy's support in combating illicit drug trafficking in Ghana's maritime space through capacity-building initiatives including VBSS training and Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS.
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission has warned that global drug trafficking networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting technology and cyberspace to expand illicit operations across borders, with Ghana experiencing a trend where criminal networks are using cyberspace to trade in narcotics.
The Director-General of Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission warns that global drug trafficking networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using technology and cyberspace to expand illicit operations. He called for stronger regional and international cooperation, noting that Ghana is experiencing criminal networks using cyberspace to trade in narcotics.
Zimbabwe's ambassador to Ghana announced a benchmarking mission to learn from Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission drug control strategies, as Zimbabwe prepares to establish its own Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency.
The Ghana Gold Board presented GH¢12.65 million to the Narcotics Control Commission, representing 50 per cent of proceeds from the sale of 17 gold bars seized from illicit gold traders in 2025, distributed under the Board's incentive policy to encourage intelligence and strengthen collaboration against illegal gold trading.
The Narcotics Control Commission's management and staff, led by Director-General Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, joined the National General Clean-Up Exercise on Friday, July 10, clearing gutters, desilting drains and sweeping streets around their headquarters and annexes. NACOC regional commands and border posts simultaneously undertook similar clean-up activities in their respective jurisdictions.
Ghana's Deputy Minister for the Interior has called for the urgent passage of a Legislative Instrument to operationalise the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, saying the country must move beyond policy commitments to treat drug use as a public health and human rights issue rather than a criminal matter.