NACOC boss reveals how drug cartels in Ghana acquiring scanners, exploiting insider access to evade detection

Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey,

Some drug traffickers in Ghana are acquiring scanners and exploiting insider access to evade detection at the country's entry points, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has told Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He said concerns over security lapses at Ghana's airport had revealed that suspected traffickers were finding ways to circumvent screening procedures, including acquiring their own scanning equipment to test how narcotics appear during security checks.

Brigadier General Mantey made the disclosure when he appeared before the committee on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to respond to audit findings by the Auditor-General.

He said some airport security personnel were also allegedly exploiting their positions to bypass established screening procedures, creating opportunities for suspected drug traffickers to avoid detection.

He cited an incident involving a supervisory security officer who allegedly entered an airport carrying a bag and bypassed a screening point despite being required to undergo security checks.

According to him, the officer subsequently went to a washroom, changed with the bag reportedly used by a traveller, and continued towards a flight.

Brigadier General Mantey also disclosed that NACOC was investigating a case involving a suspected trafficker who had acquired a scanner to determine whether drugs could be detected through the images produced during scanning.

He did not identify the individual involved in the investigation.

The committee also examined measures being implemented to prevent drug trafficking through Ghana's entry points.

Government moves to strengthen security measures

The Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, told the committee that weaknesses in screening procedures could be exploited when security personnel compromised established controls.

He said the government was working to strengthen the use of technology and intelligence-sharing among security agencies to reduce reliance on manual inspections and improve efforts to detect and prevent drug trafficking.