The Minority in Parliament has challenged President John Dramani Mahama’s government to explain why international drug trafficking networks continue to use Ghana-linked commercial routes.
The Caucus warned that repeated narcotics seizures abroad linked to Ghana raise serious questions about the country’s border security.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who threw the challenge, said the government must take responsibility for protecting Ghana’s borders and provide convincing answers over the movement of substantial quantities of illegal drugs through commercial channels linked to the country.
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Speaking at a leaders’ media briefing on Tuesday ahead of Parliament’s resumption, he cited several major narcotics interceptions in Europe, Australia and Lebanon, arguing that the recurrence of such incidents cannot be treated as isolated criminal activities.
He recalled that Dutch authorities seized almost 4,500 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in timber reportedly linked to a Ghanaian company in June 2025.
In November 2025, Belgian authorities intercepted 2,829 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in cassava flour shipped from Tema.
He also cited an April 2026 Australian investigation involving suspicious cargo in two containers from Ghana, purportedly carrying charcoal, which concerned 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
In September 2026, French authorities intercepted approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in plastic waste reportedly shipped from Ghana at the Port of Dunkirk.
Mr Afenyo-Markin further referred to a reported seizure of 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine involving a passenger arriving from Accra in Lebanon.
“Timber, cassava flour, charcoal, plastic waste, now passenger luggage. Different concealment, different destinations, but all repeated links to Ghana,” he said.
He questioned how the consignments were processed, inspected and cleared, demanding explanations about cargo scanning, intelligence coordination and the effectiveness of the country’s security arrangements.
“Why does it take a seizure abroad to trigger explanation at home?” he asked.
The Minority Leader acknowledged that drug trafficking is not absent under previous administrations but insisted that the history of the problem could not excuse present failures.
President Mahama, he said, has a responsibility to protect Ghana’s borders and answer for shortcomings in the country’s security systems.
He disclosed that the Minority is applying for a review of an earlier ruling by the Speaker of Parliament to allow the House to probe the multiple drug seizures linked to the country.