217 Arrests, 8.5 Tonnes of Drugs and GH¢6.9m Cash Seized- Interior Ministry on NACOC Crackdown
The Minister for Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has provided an update on the operations of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), showing a major scale-up in enforcement, seizures and asset recovery between 2025 and April 2026.
According to the update delivered on August 24, 2026, at a presser, NACOC recorded 217 arrests and initiated 165 prosecutions within the period.
The Commission also intercepted over 8.5 tonnes of narcotic drugs and 45.4 million tablets of Tramadol, a quantity authorities say is enough opioid doses to medicate every Ghanaian more than once.
The interceptions form part of intelligence-led operations targeting new trafficking methods, including concealment in commercial goods, encrypted digital platforms and cross-border routes.
In a major financial crackdown on drug proceeds, NACOC recovered 73 tainted assets, with more than 19 kilograms of gold seized in suspected drug-money laundering cases.
The Commission has also restrained over GH¢6.9 million and USD 440,000 in cash and assets linked to narcotics cases.
The Director-General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has previously credited the gains to increased government support under President John Dramani Mahama, which has expanded NACOC’s district operational commands from fewer than 10 to 77 across all 16 regions.
The Interior Minister said the government is shifting to intelligence-led border monitoring and is acquiring high-resolution scanners with support from the Netherlands and Singapore to be deployed at the Tema and Takoradi ports, Kotoka International Airport and key inland borders to detect drugs and ammunition.
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