Senyo Hosi commends gov’t over NACOC expansion, warns of growing synthetic drug threat

Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Senyo Hosi, has commended the government for strengthening the operational capacity and nationwide presence of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

He says the Commission has made significant progress in expanding its operations, although it remains confronted with resource constraints in the fight against drug trafficking.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, Mr Hosi said NACOC’s presence had grown from about eight districts before the current government assumed office to 81 districts.

His comments follow the arrest of a 43-year-old freight forwarder in Tema in connection with the seizure of approximately 2.6 tonnes of cocaine in Valencia, Spain, in August 2026.

The suspect, who operates a freight forwarding business at Community 1 in Tema, was arrested by NACOC officers at about 3 pm on Wednesday, November 11, after investigations linked him to the processing of customs documentation for the shipment intercepted by Spanish authorities.

Reacting to the development, Mr Hosi described drug trafficking as a serious national concern but said the government deserved recognition for efforts to improve NACOC’s capacity.

“The drug matter is a serious matter. I will commend the government; there’ve been a lot of progress they have made,” he said.

He recalled that, before the current administration took office, NACOC had a limited presence across the country and struggled with inadequate resources to carry out its mandate.

Drawing on his previous engagements with the Commission, Mr Hosi said he had encountered NACOC officers operating under difficult conditions, including personnel stationed at border points without adequate facilities.

He said the situation was so challenging that, during the tenure of former NACOC leadership, efforts were made to mobilise support from private individuals and stakeholders to provide basic operational equipment.

According to him, the Commission had struggled to acquire essential tools, including sniffer dogs, with each dog costing between €10,000 and €11,000.

He also raised concerns about the lack of adequate drug-detection equipment, noting that officers had often relied heavily on intelligence and cooperation with other agencies and stakeholders to pursue suspected drug traffickers.

“They were highly under-resourced, but you will see that there is a certain effort trying to build that,” he said.

Mr Hosi’s remarks highlight the importance of sustained investment in NACOC’s personnel, logistics and technology to strengthen Ghana’s ability to detect and disrupt international drug trafficking networks.

Beyond cocaine seizures, Mr Hosi warned that Ghana’s drug-control efforts must address the growing threat posed by synthetic substances.

He argued that the national conversation on narcotics should not be limited to cocaine, insisting that synthetic drugs constituted an even bigger concern requiring urgent attention.

“The drug element should not be a cocaine problem alone; the bigger problem we have are with the synthetics,” he cautioned.