Also known as: the Narcotics Control Commission
Narcotics Control Commission — government agency combating drug trafficking and substance abuse in Ghana through border security, intelligence operations, and youth awareness.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
Government has supplied the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) with mobile drug detection devices and is replacing body intrusive scanners at Kotoka International Airport as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s fight against drug trafficking. …
Government procures mobile drug detectors, upgrades airport scanners to strengthen narcotics fightJoy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has announced the arrest of the alleged kingpin and two accomplices linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate responsible for shipping 320 kilograms of methamphetamine worth an estimated US$296 million to Australia. …
NACOC arrests alleged Kingpin behind US$296 million meth syndicate as Ghana Marks World Drug DayJoy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has announced plans to deploy new drug detection equipment, including mobile scanners, at the Accra International Airport from August 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen border security and curb drug trafficking. …
NACOC to roll out new drug detection scanners at Accra International AirportThe Ghanaian Times
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), in collaboration with the National Investigations Bureau (NIB), has arrested the first suspect in connection with a 320-kilogram methamphetamine shipment intercepted in Australia. …
NACOC arrests first suspect in $296 million Australia-linked methamphetamine caseJoy Online
… The Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barimah, disclosed this while discussing the development on JoyFm Super Morning Show on Thursday. …
Five Central University students remanded over alleged cannabis-infused productsJoy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says it will roll out an intensive anti-drug abuse campaign across school campuses nationwide, beginning June 26, which marks the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. …
NACOC launches nationwide anti-drug campaign targeting school campusesJoy Online
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says it has identified a new group of suspects linked to the attempted export of methamphetamine to Australia, following the arrest of an alleged kingpin in the case. …
NACOC uncovers new suspects in Australia-bound meth trafficking caseJoy Online
The Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barima, has cautioned that the illicit drug trade has become increasingly common in tertiary institutions and training colleges across the country. …
Students increasingly involved in campus drug sales — NACOC Deputy DirectorJoy Online
The Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Commission, Alexander Twum-Barima, has attributed the growing incidence of illicit drug use among young people in Ghana to what he described as “youthful exuberance.” He commented while speaking on efforts to address drug abuse and tra …
NACOC links rising campus drug use to “youthful exuberance”Joy Online
The Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barima, has raised concerns over what he describes as a growing and deeply troubling shift in drug consumption patterns among tertiary students in the country. …
NACOC warns of cannabis-infused egg and pepper and ice cream being sold on university campusesThe Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment urged young Ghanaians to share challenges they face and propose solutions to inform government policies. The National Youth Forum 2026 at UPSA brought together youth, government officials, and youth-focused institutions to discuss employment, entrepreneurship, skills development, national service, and school-to-work transition.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment urged young Ghanaians to share challenges they face and propose solutions to inform government policies. The National Youth Forum 2026 at UPSA brought together youth, government officials, and youth-focused institutions to discuss employment, entrepreneurship, skills development, national service, and school-to-work transition.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission has urged young people struggling with substance abuse to seek professional assistance early, stressing that recovery is possible and warning against experimenting with drugs due to serious consequences for their future.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission intercepted a significant amount of suspected cocaine at Accra International Airport and arrested a delivery driver in connection with the seizure. The suspect is in custody and investigators believe he works with others in a drug syndicate and are working to identify additional persons connected to the package.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
17 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
14 August 2026 · The Chronicle →
An estimated 82,500 Ghanaians are actively using hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, tramadol and methamphetamine, with the Ashanti Region accounting for nearly 20 per cent, according to a University of Ghana study cited by the Narcotics Control Commission director-general. The study found HIV prevalence among drug users in Ashanti at 6.6 per cent, nearly five times Ghana's national prevalence of 1.4 per cent.
14 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
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.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
13 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Prescription painkillers like tramadol and codeine-based cough syrups ("red") are increasingly abused across Ghana's classrooms, universities, and workplaces, with health workers and employers reporting addiction among young people and rising workplace incidents linked to substance use.
12 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
12 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Deputy Interior Minister Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi commended the 2026 Civil Service Week celebration at an exhibition held at Accra Sports Stadium, describing it as an important platform to showcase the Civil Service's contribution to Ghana's development and highlight government achievements across ministries and departments.
12 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency says YEA is collaborating with government to move personnel into the public sector wage system, which would enhance their salaries and conditions of service. Contract workers will also be included in the migration process.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Stakeholders have called for sustained investment in youth skills, reproductive health, and drug-abuse prevention to address unemployment, population pressures, and substance abuse. The National Youth Authority is implementing a National Apprenticeship Programme across 24 skill areas, with its first phase running from October 2025 to September 2026, providing trainees with start-up kits to establish businesses after training.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Two Port Health officers have been barred from working at Accra International Airport and other GACL-operated airports after they charged a foreign traveller US$40 for a Yellow Fever Card instead of the approved US$20 fee.
9 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A Ghana Immigration Service officer has been transferred from Accra International Airport after appearing in a viral video allegedly demanding money for "breakfast" from a passenger. Two Port Health officers were also barred from working at GACL-operated airports after being found to have extorted money from a foreign traveller seeking a Yellow Fever Card.
9 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's youth are increasingly falling into substance abuse, a threat to individual futures and the country's social and economic progress, according to concerns raised by the Narcotics Control Commission, WHO, and UNODC. The growing misuse of drugs such as marijuana, tramadol, shisha, and synthetic drugs is destroying lives across communities.
7 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Airports Company Limited has introduced a "name and shame" policy and dedicated hotline (0542175636) to address extortion by airport personnel. Staff found engaging in extortion will be publicly identified, face disciplinary action, and be barred from working at airports.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Statistical Service data shows bribe requests by officials jumped from 50.9% in the first half of 2025 to 69.4% in the second half, while the proportion of Ghanaians who actually paid bribes rose from 14.3% to 18.0% over the same period.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission arrested ten students from Koforidua Technical University for allegedly selling cannabis-infused drinks and ice creams on campus during a Students' Representative Council Hall Week celebration. The operation identified a suspected ringleader and nine others allegedly involved in production, distribution, and sale of cannabis-infused products.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission arrested 10 Koforidua Technical University students, including 23-year-old Priscilla Tetteh as the suspected ringleader, for allegedly producing and selling cannabis-infused drinks and ice cream on campus during an SRC Hall Week celebration. All suspects are in NACOC custody awaiting prosecution.
3 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
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.
3 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
The Narcotics Control Commission arrested ten people for allegedly distributing cannabis and cannabis-infused products during Students' Representative Council Week celebrations at Koforidua Technical University. The operation resulted in the seizure of suspected cannabis and several beverages and food items believed to be infused with the narcotic.
1 August 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission has urged schools, churches, and the public to take a more active role in combating drug abuse, citing limited manpower within the Commission. NACOC's Deputy Director-General said the fight cannot be left to the Commission alone and that stronger collaboration from educational institutions and religious organisations is needed to reduce drug abuse across the country.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Narcotics Control Commission is proposing mandatory drug testing for students seeking university admission and national service as part of efforts to curb drug abuse among young people. Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah said the testing should be integrated into the medical examinations required for university entry to identify and intervene with students already using drugs.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
NACOC revealed that more than 6,000 applicants who failed mandatory drug screening during this year's security services recruitment tested positive for cocaine, heroin, cannabis, opioids, and methamphetamine. The Deputy Director-General stated these applicants tested positive for multiple drugs, not just one substance.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →