NACOC traces 73 assets linked to suspected drug traffickers

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has identified 73 assets believed to be connected to suspected drug traffickers as part of the government's intensified efforts to dismantle organised narcotics networks and disrupt the financial foundations of the illicit drug trade.

The exercise forms part of a broader strategy aimed at tracing, freezing and confiscating assets suspected to have been acquired through drug trafficking activities.

Speaking during an engagement with Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the government's anti-narcotics strategy has shifted from focusing largely on drug users to targeting the criminal networks responsible for importing and distributing illegal drugs.

According to him, recent investments in the operational capacity of NACOC have significantly improved the Commission's ability to conduct intelligence-led investigations and enforcement operations.

Mr Mubarak explained that the Commission had gone nearly a decade without receiving new operational equipment, limiting its effectiveness in combating drug-related crimes.

He said the government has since addressed the challenge by providing logistical support, including 22 operational vehicles, to enhance the Commission's nationwide activities.

The additional resources, he noted, have strengthened NACOC's surveillance capabilities, improved monitoring of suspected trafficking routes and boosted investigations into individuals believed to be involved in the narcotics trade.

“For almost ten years, NACOC had not received any equipment, but because of our resilience, we equipped them with almost 22 logistical vehicles and, as a result, we have been able to detect 73 assets that are linked to people who are drug traffickers because we are trying to move away from simply getting those who are using or smoking narcotics to targeting those who are bringing in narcotics,” the Minister said.

Mr Mubarak further disclosed that dedicated courts have now been established to expedite the prosecution of narcotics-related offences.

“By the grace of God and the help of the Chief Justice, we have dedicated courts to prosecute narcotics cases,” he added.

He said the government remains committed to strengthening law enforcement institutions and intensifying efforts to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates while ensuring that those behind the illicit trade are brought to justice.