Also known as: the Narcotics Control Commission
Narcotics Control Commission — Ghana's agency conducting pre-screening at airports and ports, and recording drug seizures and arrests amid trafficking concerns.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… The pre-screening exercise will be conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of enhanced security measures at the airport. …
GACL enhances security screening at Accra International AirportJoy Online
Ghana Airports Company Limited has announced that pre-screening checks by the Narcotics Control Commission are now being conducted at the entrance to the Departure Hall at Accra International Airport before passengers proceed to check-in. …
NACOC begins pre-screening checks at Accra International AirportJoy Online
… He pointed to several drug consignments intercepted within Ghana, arguing that such seizures demonstrate that agencies including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) are actively working to disrupt trafficking networks. …
Drug fight will yield results as Mahama steps up action – DzimegaThe Chronicle
The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has introduced enhanced security screening for all passengers departing through the airport, with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) now conducting pre-screening checks at the entrance to the Departure Hall. …
GACL tightens airport security screeningJoy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has called for stronger coordination among security agencies operating at the Tema Harbour to prevent the port from being exploited as a transit point for narcotic drugs. …
NACOC demands tighter port controls to prevent Tema Harbour drug traffickingJoy Online
… He argued that drug-related arrests by the police and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that Ghana is becoming a trafficking hub. …
Mahama orders security agencies to make Ghana’s ports ‘ironclad’ against drug traffickingJoy Online
… He pointed specifically to the role of the Narcotics Control Commission and the police in fighting illegal drug activity. …
Government rejects ‘Cocaine Coast’ label, says drug busts show security agencies are workingJoy Online
… The Narcotics Control Commission has also acknowledged that the problem is changing. …
Ghana ranked 5th source of cocaine seized at Antwerp, Belgium in 2025Joy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says background checks on suspects arrested in connection with the Dunkirk cocaine seizure have found no evidence linking any of them to the security details of President John Dramani Mahama or Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agy …
No France cocaine suspect linked to Mahama, Vice President’s security details – NACOCJoy Online
The Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barimah, has strongly rejected allegations that the leadership of the Commission could be compromised in the movement of narcotics out of Ghana. …
Drug bust: Under no circumstances will NACOC leadership be compromised – Twum-BarimahPassengers at Accra International Airport must now undergo luggage screening at the Departure Hall entrance before check-in, conducted by NACOC using scanning machines and sniffer dogs. GACL recommends arriving three hours before departure and notes that only ticketed passengers are permitted in the Departure Hall.
5 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Passengers at Accra International Airport must now undergo luggage screening at the Departure Hall entrance before check-in, conducted by NACOC using scanning machines and sniffer dogs. GACL recommends arriving three hours before departure and notes that only ticketed passengers are permitted in the Departure Hall.
5 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Airports Company Limited has announced that the Narcotics Control Commission now conducts pre-screening checks at the entrance to the Departure Hall at Accra International Airport using scanning machines and sniffer dogs. Passengers are advised to arrive at least three hours before departure to allow time for security screening and other formalities.
3 October 2026 · Joy Online →
NDC Communications Team lawyer Theophilus Dzimega Jr. says President John Mahama's efforts to tackle drug trafficking will produce results, noting the government has engaged security leadership and implemented measures following recent seizures. Dzimega defended Ghana's law enforcement agencies, citing intercepted drug consignments as evidence of active disruption of trafficking networks.
3 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Airports Company Limited has introduced enhanced security screening at the airport's Departure Hall, with the Narcotics Control Commission conducting pre-screening checks using scanning machines and sniffer dogs before passengers proceed to check-in. The measure responds to heightened concern over narcotics trafficking, and passengers are advised to arrive three hours before departure.
2 October 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Narcotics Control Commission has called for tighter security coordination among agencies at Tema Harbour to prevent the port being used as a transit point for narcotic drugs, with its Director-General emphasising that no container should leave without required clearances and warning against inter-agency competition.
2 October 2026 · Joy Online →
President John Mahama has ordered security agencies to make Ghana's ports "ironclad" against drug trafficking, following concerns over drug consignments leaving Ghana and being intercepted abroad. The directive came after an urgent meeting of security agencies convened two weeks ago to address port security weaknesses.
1 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu rejected characterizations of Ghana as a "cocaine coast," arguing that drug seizures and arrests demonstrate security agencies are actively disrupting trafficking operations rather than evidence of Ghana as a trafficking hub. The Minority in Parliament had called for an inquiry into Ghana's alleged emergence as a narcotics transit hub, citing major seizures including nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine intercepted by French customs in September.
1 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana ranked fifth among countries of origin for cocaine seized at Belgium's Antwerp port in 2025, the only African nation in the top five dominated by Latin American states. Belgian customs seized nearly 55 tonnes of cocaine at Antwerp last year; Ghana's ranking reflects large seizures in cassava flour and other legitimate exports from Tema.
29 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission says background checks on suspects arrested in the Dunkirk cocaine seizure found no evidence linking any of them to the security details of President Mahama or Vice President Opoku-Agyemang. NACOC identified one suspect, Musah Attah, as a farmer and not a member of the presidential security detail.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
NACOC's Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah has rejected allegations that the Commission's leadership could be compromised in narcotics trafficking, stating that NACOC remains committed to its mandate and protecting Ghana's image. His statement follows concerns raised by Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee Ranking Member about the handling of narcotics cases.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission says the agency is taking steps to address institutional gaps it inherited, without specifying which gaps or what measures have been taken. His comments come after French customs seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine reportedly shipped from Ghana.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission has called for NACOC to be included in teams inspecting containers at Ghana's ports, arguing that the commission's specific mandate to deal with narcotics is essential to detect and prevent drug trafficking, even if it means involving more agencies than current streamlined inspection arrangements.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission has urged the opposition NPP to avoid treating the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France—concealed in a container shipped from Ghana—as a partisan issue, noting that Ghana has recorded numerous drug seizures in the past and citing earlier cocaine interceptions in 2018 and 2019.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
NACOC Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah has cautioned against the politicisation of recent cocaine seizures, noting that Ghana has intercepted drugs at its borders multiple times in the past, including 56 kilogrammes of cocaine in 2018 and heroin in 2020. His remarks follow the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs at Dunkirk in a container shipped from Ghana, which has prompted the opposition NPP to call for the removal of heads of state agencies responsible for port security.
26 September 2026 · Joy Online →
JoyNews' Newsfile programme will examine four major national issues: the reported confrontation between Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah and EOCO regarding parliamentary immunity; Ghana's drug-trafficking concerns and the Narcotics Control Commission's response; arrests related to recent speeches; and a $235 million water debt.
25 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Christian Council of Ghana has called on state institutions to intensify investigations into the financing of narcotics trafficking and pursue the financiers, organisers and principal beneficiaries rather than concentrating only on couriers. The Council said the Presidency, Parliament, NACOC, FIC and the Judiciary must trace financial footprints and ensure accountability regardless of political or economic status.
25 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission recorded 217 arrests involving 165 cases in 2025, up from 73 arrests in 2024, alongside seizures of 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotics valued at $5.24 million and GH¢6.93 million in cash. The Majority Caucus attributes the increase to institutional reforms, inter-agency collaboration, and expanded operational presence across all 16 regions.
25 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Ghana's NDC Majority Caucus has credited a sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures to strategic reforms under the NDC administration, and is calling for stronger collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
25 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Deputy Ranking Member Kofi Amankwa-Manu dismissed claims that Ghana's cocaine trafficking problem stems from NACOC's removal from port inspection agencies in 2018, calling the argument "absurd" and pointing instead to broader security gaps that require urgent attention.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Majority in Parliament highlighted a rise in narcotics arrests by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), citing 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025 compared with 73 arrests in 2024 under the previous administration — a 197 percent increase in enforcement.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Majority caucus in Parliament has called for stronger cooperation among security and law enforcement agencies, including the Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, and Ports and Harbour Authority, to effectively combat drug trafficking networks in Ghana.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Centre for Democratic Movement has called for a comprehensive bipartisan parliamentary investigation into Ghana's port and border-control systems following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France from a container that had left Ghana. CDM says the seizure reflects a pattern of narcotics cases involving Ghana-linked consignments and raises questions about how drugs are being detected, cleared and moved through Ghana's maritime and aviation channels.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Majority in Parliament has blamed years of inadequate resourcing of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) under the Akufo-Addo administration for Ghana's narcotics trafficking challenges. Majority Leader James Agalga cited under-resourcing, understaffing, and a 2018 decision removing NACOC from routine port inspections as contributing to institutional neglect.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Speaker Bagbin has summoned Parliament to sit on September 29, 2026, following calls from the Minority for scrutiny of Ghana's ports, customs controls, intelligence and narcotics enforcement in response to major drug seizures linked to Ghana.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The opposition New Patriotic Party has called for urgent action to address what it describes as a growing drug trafficking menace, warning it poses a national security threat and damages Ghana's international image. The party cited 12 cocaine-related incidents over an 18-month period, including a March 2025 seizure of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine valued at over $350 million.
24 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
The Centre for Democratic Movement has demanded a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into multiple narcotics seizures linked to Ghana, citing gaps in security and port inspection systems and warning that the country's international reputation is at risk. The group cited seizures including nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at Dunkirk in September 2026, more than 3.3 tonnes at Pedu Junction in March 2025, and 320 kilograms of methamphetamine in charcoal shipped to Sydney in April 2026.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has called for an urgent national crackdown on illicit drug trafficking, citing a seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs at Dunkirk in September concealed in a container of plastic waste from Ghana, and noting that four Ghanaians have been arraigned in connection with alleged narcotics trafficking.
23 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Security analyst Adib Saani says the frequency and magnitude of recent drug trafficking cases linked to Ghana are concerning and could damage the country's international reputation. He cited the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at France's Port of Dunkirk in September 2026 and 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at Tema Harbour in August 2026.
22 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an NPP director of communications aspirant, has challenged the government to explain how large quantities of cocaine passed through Ghana's ports undetected, citing twelve major drug busts in 18 months and calling for the issue to be treated as a national security concern rather than political blame.
22 September 2026 · Joy Online →
President John Mahama has ordered the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to return to inspecting containers and goods at ports, a role the NDC says was removed under the previous NPP administration. The move is intended to strengthen Ghana's fight against drug trafficking.
22 September 2026 · Joy Online →