NACOC Boss Pushes For Africa Joint Operations Against Synthetic Drugs, Cocaine Cartels
The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major-General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has called for stronger and more practical cross-border cooperation among African countries to dismantle networks behind synthetic drugs and cocaine trafficking.
He made the call in Ghana’s closing statement at the 33rd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLEA Africa), held in Vienna, Austria, from September 8 to 11, 2026.
Major-General Mantey said the evolving nature of the illicit drug trade requires a shift from fragmented national responses to joint intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and joint operations.
According to him, no country, regardless of the strength of its law enforcement or border security systems, can effectively combat transnational drug trafficking alone, as trafficking networks operate across multiple jurisdictions, moving synthetic drug precursors, cocaine and illicit financial flows while exploiting gaps in national enforcement.
“Cooperation is therefore not a diplomatic courtesy to be affirmed in closing statements; it is the operational prerequisite for any of our national strategies to be successful,” he stated.
He advocated a neighbour-to-neighbour approach as a practical starting point, emphasising joint patrols and coordinated border management, citing Ghana’s bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries and the cooperation between The Gambia and Senegal as examples that can anchor wider continental efforts.
Major-General Mantey also recalled the high-level dialogue hosted in Accra in November 2025 on “Mapping the Future of Drug Markets in West Africa – Synthetics, Cocaine, Criminal Money, and Strategic Responses,” noting that the threats of synthetic drugs on young people and the use of illicit financial flows to undermine governance remain acute.
He called for cooperation that is practical, timely and operational, where intelligence obtained in one jurisdiction supports enforcement action in another.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening bilateral and regional partnerships and supporting the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in rebuilding cooperation against the illicit drug trade.
“We look forward to reporting at the Thirty-fourth Meeting on progress, not promises,” he said.
The meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Matilda Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana in Vienna.
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