Let’s stop bashing NACOC anytime there is drug bust – Hopeson Adorye

Director of Operations of the United Party, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, has urged Ghanaians to stop criticising the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) whenever drug consignments are intercepted.

He argued that such operations require time and careful coordination to dismantle trafficking networks.

Adorye said the arrest of individual suspects should not be the only measure used to assess the work of the Commission, as investigators must also trace the suppliers, intermediaries and intended recipients of illicit drugs.

His comments follow the arrest of a Syrian national at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 31, after he arrived from Accra with a large consignment of suspected cocaine.

Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, November 3, Adorye said the public should allow the Commission to carry out its investigations rather than condemn it whenever a drug bust is reported.

“We should desist from accusing or bashing NACOC any time there is a drug bust. I don't understand why people will come out and say you did not do anything,” he said.

The UP communicator explained that tackling drug trafficking required investigators to trace the entire supply chain, from the source of the drugs through intermediaries to the final consumers.

He said this was why controlled delivery operations were important, as they could help law enforcement agencies identify and arrest more people linked to a trafficking syndicate.

“When we have point A, B, C. Point A is the manufacturer or the supplier. Point B is the intermediary, and then point C will be the final consumer of the product. If you want to just get one person arrested, you can do that, but it's important to always trace the syndicate and get as many people arrested as possible,” he added.

The latest seizure has generated debate about Ghana’s role in the shipment and the effectiveness of the country’s drug-control systems.

NACOC says the arrest resulted from a coordinated controlled delivery exercise involving Ghanaian and Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.

It says the operation was intended to identify suspects at both ends of the supply chain and gather intelligence to dismantle the wider criminal network.