Controlled Delivery Operations: Legal Authority, Organization, and Execution and Why The Head Of NACOC and His Deputy Must Be Removed

The Narrative Hook
Controlled delivery is by transforming passive trans-border prohibition into a proactive, intelligence-led offensive against transnational organized crime. By anchoring operations in international legal frameworks, enforcing strict need-to-know security, seamlessly integrating security systems across borders, and especially timing the arrests to capture key elements and associates say the barons/kingpins/ decision-makers and accomplices.

So, if a true Controlled Delivery operation is not well coordinated and executed professionally by higher Security diplomatic levels of the Originating or Dispatching Country/any transit nation and the Recipient Country as explained under tactical execution etc below, a participating Country may disrupt the operation by incompetent/unprofessional acts or the springing of the secret operations before the delivery or storage aspect of the contrabands and thus making no sense of a real Controlled Delivery Operation.

Thus among others, poor unprofessional acts or coordination may lead to the leaking of the intelligence or an early springing or intercepting of shipments before the delivery to or collection by the barons or their Agents or storage in the recipient Country, so as to capture the accomplices or dismantle the cartel network.

Hence a Student of Risk Management, with a reasonable mindset, who upon conduct of analyses of the intelligence on the recent cocaine saga in the public domain from both participating countries namely Ghana and Lebanon, may come to a logical conclusion that it was very poorly done. That is if and only if it was Controlled Delivery as being sold to the public by Ghana.

The narratives suggest that if it was Controlled Delivery operation, then it was very poorly done by Ghana. Since the actions and narratives by the Authorities of Lebanon show that the detection of the contraband was as a result of a thorough and honest search/inspection by the Lebanese Custom personnel at the Port. Thus not necessary based on intelligence from Ghana. if it was Controlled Delivery Operation.

The utterances by NACOC make their story of Controlled Delivery Operation to look very dubious and thus give the impression of a very poor operation, otherwise not an authorized and agreed Controlled Delivery Operation by the Highest Echelons of the Narcotic Agencies of both Countries.

So, the reason why the Lebanese claimed that the contraband was detected by a very thorough search. Thus the early springing of the operation, inside the Port in Lebanon, gave an impression that Narcotic Agency of Lebanon had no prior knowledge of a Controlled Delivery Operation. Hence the story of an element of surprise to the Lebanese Custom Authorities/Government. These states of affairs have led to the disclosure or the allegation of a payment of a bribe of 3,000.00 US Dollars in Ghana by the handler/owner of the cocaine.

Ghana First; So, sincere studies on the narratives in public domain from Ghana and Lebanon by this writer, Retired Major Mohamed Bogobiri, (a former and the last Provost Marshal of ECOMOG in Liberia etc) and other experts especially Imani Ghana (Mr Bright Simmons), Mr Sani Adib, and experts at JoyNews, revealed that the integrity of the info on Controlled delivery operations as alleged by NACOC is very questionable. Hence President Mahama, the Listening President should please study the matter and see to the Ghana First Agenda and take prompt or decisive action to replace the Head of NACOC and his Deputy due to this second embarrassment/ disappointment by them.

This is necessary since besides this current embarrassment with the story of an alleged Controlled Delivery operation, was the serious saga of the cocaine to France that suggested that the affected Officials of the State failed by August 2026 to conduct recce/ risk assessment (Battle Appreciation) at the Ports immediately on taking over in 2025.

Since a risk assessment of the Tema Port before September 2026 would have made them to identify the likely vulnerabilities at the Port and rectify them at an earlier time before the September 2026 saga of 3.9 metric tons of cocaine smuggled from Ghana to the French Port at Dunkirk in September 2026.

The presumption that because NACOC was withdrawn from the Port by the previous regime of President Nana Addo, might have created alleged loopholes at the Ports especially Tema Port as such contributed to the smuggling of cocaine at large scale to France. This should be regarded as a Kwaku Ananse story to cover inefficacy/ inefficiency. So a very poor conduct by any Senior Official in the era of a Reset Agenda of Dear President Mahama is unacceptable. Especially after several arrests of cocaine offenders were made in Ghana before September 2026.

The integrity of Security Operators especially at the higher echelons should be their greatness, hence should not be questionable. So President Mahama should replace the Head or NACOC and his Deputy otherwise issue severe reprimand to them for these two mentioned embarrassments that is if he cannot get immediate replacement for their Offices. As for cocaine saga in the Country, once it has happened, it may happen again, as in the Bible that history repeats itself. Read the Cat and Mouse intelligence war fare below.

Introduction
The Reset Agenda as being championed and executed in Ghana as well in Africa, is God sent omen (blueprint, mission, strategy in Governance) through a Political Messenger, herein named as Prophet Mr John Dramani Mahama. This is after God prevented him from enjoying the first and second terms in office as the President of Ghana and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana consecutively.

Thus the second coming of Mr John Dramani Mahama as the President of Ghana and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana and the nominated candidate for the Chairmanship of the Africa Union in 2027 was part of God’s plan for Ghana and Africa. Since by the Holy Bible at Romans 13:1 and the Holy Quran at Surah Ali Imran 3:26 and Surah Al Baqarah 2:247 it is God Who nominates a Leader.

So, one may be right to say that Mr John Dramani Mahama was politically (electorally etc) ”quarantined or cocooned”, alienated (withdrawn) from Office of the President of Ghana between 2017 and 2024, in order for him to be groomed (prepared) by God with a Think Positive and Think Big Mindset for Ghana and Africa, So as to be able to change the narrative (negative to positive) in all aspect of life in Ghana, Politically, Socially and Economically, hence with good infrastructure in Ghana in Ghana First Agenda.

So, His Excellency President Mr JD Mahama by God is on a Ghana First hence a Better Ghana Agenda by his attempt to navigate Ghana and to some extent Africa towards a Promised Land. Where the Citizen is dedicated, modest, honest and well-informed. And the Citizen is a man who submerges himself in service to the Nation and Mankind, a person who abhors greed and detests vanity. Thus a new type of man whose humility is his strength and whose integrity is his greatness.

This is the ideal profile and moral character for a new African Citizen and New Leader as dreamt by President Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, a Founder of the Nation Ghana and the Pioneer or first Champion of Africa Unity as in his book Africa Must Unite.

Hence, His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama, as a New Citizen and the New Leader of Ghana and standing by to be the New Leader for Africa in 2027, needs to be supported by the good citizens of Ghana and Africa to achieve his vision in line with that of President Dr Kwame of Africa.

Consequently, as a litmus test for His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama and his fellow Ghanaians is the need to quickily study the works of honest critics of this National embarrassment and demo leadership by taking appropriate action on the saga of cocaine in the front burner, that is giving Ghana a bad name. Especially the conflicting stories involving the alleged Controlled Delivery Operation with the latest Cocaine saga involving Ghana and Lebanon as allegedly conducted by NACOC, made it to appear as unprofessionally executed by Ghana, hence making the story of Controlled Delivery to be highly debatable to be as such.

Article 1 of the Constitution tells that Sovereignty resides in the people. So Retired Major Mohammed Bogobiri with a Ghana First mindset, hence a self-appointed disciple of Prophet Mr JD Mahama, so he is on a Better Ghana Agenda for especially the unborn generations the reason why he has found it necessary to support the Reset Agenda of Prophet His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama. So Retired Major Bogobiri has joined His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama as the Risk (venture) owner of the Reset Agenda, since by Article 1 of the Constitution, Sovereignty resides in the people.

So this submission by Retired Major Mohammed Bogobiri on Controlled Delivery in Narcotic Control Operations: International Organization, Legal Authority, and Tactical Execution is to support Prophet, His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama as the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana to achieve his vision of creating a good name of Ghana and Africa and also to ensure that the good people of Ghana are well informed on National Issues to ensure Ghana First.

Cocaine
Cocaine comes from South America Countries like Columbia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador etc. It is extracted from the coca plant as the most stimulant of natural origin. As contraband, Cocaine is smuggled greatly by sea to Ghana along the Coast, of the Gulf Guinea.

Cocaine and Psychotropic Substances War

General Combat; Governments and Security Agencies use combination of ways in the Cocaine and Psychotropic Substances War. These include tougher laws, judicial cooperation, seizure of assets, military patrols and combating / intelligence war, financial tracking to freeze cartel assets, tracking money laundering and cut of the access to banking system, and public health strategies by International Cooperation to fight the transnational drug cartels.

Intelligence Led War: There is always a dangerous cat-and-mouse dynamics between sophisticated Cocaine or Narcotic Drug Cartel and Port Security. So, the combating of Cocaine or Narcotic Drugs by Nations is normally, an Intelligence Led War between the Drug Cartels and Law Enforcement Agencies, in Ghana especially by Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC).

This Intelligence Warfare is normally described or depicted as a dangerous Cat and Mouse Game between them. The law Enforcement Agency like Ghana’s Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) or Port Security as the Cat, employs intelligence tactics (system) by secretly monitoring and scenting with security dogs the movements and scents of drugs respectively as executed by the Mouse with the contraband, whilst the International Cartel with smuggling networks as the mouse constantly scouting for procedure gaps to dodge the Cat or human vulnerabilities at shipping hubs to dodge or compromise(bribe) the Cat and slip their products through.

Intelligence anti-narcotic agencies like NACOC as Cats spend months quietly monitoring credit card trails, wiretaps, the conduct of persons especially at Ports/along the Coast etc and checking suspicious movements of containers, communications and waiting for the right time to spring a trap. With the Cartels as the mice constantly shift their tactics by hiding drug in everything from charcoal and plastic waste to food shipments or using complex networks of courier to stay one step ahead of the cat. So as the Bible decreed at Ecclesiastes 1:9 ‘’What has happened will Happen Again’’. So saga of Cocaine in Ghana is not news, it is expected in Risk Management Study, but it is news when the operation by Ghana in the fight against the cartel is poorly done.

Intelligent Security workings like the tactical operations of the Cat and Mouse dynamics is not static, it varies, involving cooperation between the security agencies of the Country and when necessary with the Security Agencies of recipient Countries and the public, by patrolling, covert operations, use of special dogs, special scanners etc, and tracking operations etc.

So, responses to likely massive breaches by the mice or the Cartel include constantly changing of tactics by rewriting rules from changing monitoring to direct cargo screening or using both to catch the mice before the containers ever leave the port otherwise the adoption of Control Delivery as transnational operation by international law enforcement to give a deadly blow by dismantling the trafficking network and prosecute its key actors.

Controlled Delivery is an international law enforcement measure which is accepted, adopted and agreed by affected Nations as transnational operation, which is meant to identify and arrest the actors involved in drug syndicate rather than locating systemic loopholes as alleged by the current Heads of NACOC.

Controlled Delivery is a global Standard Security operation formulated by the United Nation system, as UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) with UN Organization Document guidelines as UNODC Guidelines. UNDOC Guidelines on controlled delivery is a method to allow illicit shipment of drugs to pass through territories under strict surveillance to trace the kingpins, distributors and cartel leaders. The ultimate objective of Control Delivery in international law enforcement operation is to dismantle the trafficking network and prosecute its key actors.

So, Control Delivery involving in the shipment of illicit drug and Psychotropic Substances consignments is a critical investigative technique in international narcotic control operations, where illicit drug consignments are allowed to pass out of, through, or into the territory of one or more countries with the knowledge and under the supervision of their competent authorities. Rather than seizing the contraband immediately at a border or transit hub—which typically results only in the arrest of low-level couriers.

Controlled delivery is not meant to identify or locating systemic loopholes or gaps in a Country, in order for the country to come out with the improvement of the nation‘s fight against the shipment of illicit drug consignments as alleged by the Head of NACOC in TV3 during the recent destruction of over 10 Million US Dollars’ worth of illicit drug.

A Country may decide to do a battle simulation exercise, with the prior approval of the President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces or National Security by a controlled dummy run tactical operation at a national level only, in order to identify systemic loopholes hence not a transnational operation. This cannot be said to be Control Delivery in the fight against illicit drugs. Since the aim of Control Delivery is to identify, gather evidence against, and dismantle the higher-echelon organizers, financiers, and distribution networks behind transnational drug trafficking and prosecute them.

Controlled Delivery technique crosses sovereign borders, its success depends on strict legal authorization, seamless interagency coordination, operational security, and precise tactical execution between the originating, transit, and destination states and finally the arrest and prosecution of the affected offenders.

Legal Framework and Authorized Authorities

An international controlled delivery cannot occur unilaterally; So executing controlled delivery operation in a foreign territory without explicit prior consent violates national sovereignty and renders subsequent evidence inadmissible. There must be Designated Competent Authorities: Both the originating (source) country and the recipient (destination) country—along with any transit states—must operate through legally mandated Central or Competent Authorities.

In Ghana, for instance, the NACOC, operating under the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), serves as the primary statutory body with the Head of NACOC empowered to authorize, coordinate, and execute narcotic interdictions and cross-border operations alongside specialized police units and this must be well documented on need to know basis.. So need for the following:

Judicial and Executive Sign-Off: Before a shipment is permitted to depart, the initiating authority must secure formal authorization from its designated legal or prosecutorial oversight body (such as the Attorney-General's office or an authorized judicial officer) and obtain written or documented operational consent from its counterpart in the recipient state.

Multilateral Legal Frameworks: Controlled Delivery Operations rely on existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), or case-by-case operational agreements established under UNODC guidelines to ensure actions remain lawful across borders.

So, the legal foundation for international controlled delivery is established primarily by Article 11 of the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, alongside the 2000 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). Under these frameworks, controlled delivery is conducted on a case-by-case basis through mutual consent, bilateral agreements, or established judicial assistance protocols.

The UNDOC guidelines are captured in the relevant laws of all nations to ensure the prevention of legal challenges regarding chain of custody, entrapment, or unauthorized possession of narcotics, by requiring that the Operation must be approved by designated competent authorities in every participating jurisdictions/Countries.

Depending on national legal systems, this authority rests with (a). Heads of the Specialized Narcotics and Law Enforcement Agencies: Dedicated national drug enforcement agencies, customs administrations, and national police forces tasked with operational planning and surveillance. (b). Judicial and Prosecutorial Bodies: Investigating judges, public prosecutors, or Attorneys General who grant formal legal authorization to waive immediate seizure and permit the transit of illicit substances

Bilateral Organization and Interagency Coordination

Once a suspicious consignment is detected in the originating or transit country, immediate bilateral engagement is initiated through secure diplomatic and law enforcement channels, such as dedicated related Security Agencies or liaison officers stationed in embassies or INTERPOL, Europol etc.

1. Action Before the shipment: Before the shipment is allowed to move or Prior to dispatch of the shipment, authorities in the originating country must agree with the recipient country on how to handle the contraband, Consignment Handling is either by Clean/fake Delivery or Dirty/real Delivery,

2. Clean or Substituted Delivery: The narcotics are secretly removed, forensically sampled, and replaced with an inert, harmless substance. This eliminates any risk of drugs entering the illicit market if surveillance is lost.
3. Intact or Real or "Dirty" Delivery: The narcotics remain intact—or only partially removed—when replacing them would alert sophisticated traffickers. This requires heightened tactical containment and continuous real-time tracking.
4. Tracking and Technical Support: Both countries will coordinate the installation of covert GPS trackers, radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, or concealed audio-visual monitoring equipment within the packaging, ensuring technical compatibility across borders.
5. Chain of Custody and Evidence Sharing: Clear protocols are established for sampling, forensic testing, photographing, and documenting the contraband prior to departure so that evidence collected in the originating state is admissible in the courts of the destination state.

It need to be stressed that the Originating or Dispatch Country, Transit Country if any and final Recipient Country must agree on an operational plan covering: (a). Method of Delivery: Authorities decide between a clean controlled delivery—where the illicit drugs are completely removed and replaced with a harmless substance (such as flour, sugar, or inert powder)—and a live controlled delivery, where the actual narcotics remain in the consignment (sometimes partially substituted to mitigate risk). Clean deliveries eliminate the risk of drugs entering the illicit market if surveillance is lost, whereas live deliveries provide stronger evidentiary weight for prosecution in certain jurisdictions.

Pre-Operation Coordination and Need-to-Know Protocols

Operational security (OPSEC) is the single most critical factor in a controlled delivery, as drug syndicates frequently employ corrupt insiders at ports, airports, and logistics firms. So effective and efficient Operational Security (OPSEC) is paramount in controlled delivery, since drug trafficking organizations frequently attempt to corrupt port, postal, customs, or law enforcement personnel. Consequently, information sharing is strictly governed by the need-to-know principle. Hence the need for the following:

1. Strict Compartmentalization: Information regarding the operation must be restricted strictly on a "need-to-know" basis. Routine port workers, general customs officers, airline ground staff, and non-essential security personnel should not be briefed unless their direct intervention is required to prevent accidental seizure.

2. Key Personnel to be informed by Internal Restriction: Within both countries, knowledge of the operation is restricted to a small, vetted core of case officers, supervising prosecutors, and tactical commanders. Frontline customs officers or local police units who initially flagged the shipment are often briefed only to the extent necessary to ensure they do not inadvertently intercept the cargo. So Coordination is limited to a small cell comprising lead intelligence officers from both countries, vetted customs and border liaison commanders, supervising prosecutors (to ensure chain-of-custody standards are met), and specialized tactical surveillance teams.

3. Third-Party Cooperation: When shipments travel via commercial airlines, maritime carriers, or private courier companies (e.g., DHL, FedEx), senior security managers within those companies are selectively brought into the fold to facilitate logistics without tipping off regular freight handlers or drivers.

4. Transit States: If a consignment passes through an intermediate third country, that country’s competent authority must be formally notified and must grant consent for transit, even if no arrest is planned within its borders.

Collaboration with the Recipient Country’s Security System

Once the shipment is cleared for transit, seamless synchronization between the originating and recipient security apparatuses ensures continuous control over the consignment. So need for:

1. Real-Time Intelligence Sharing: The originating agency transmits comprehensive intelligence packages to the recipient counterpart, including airway bills, container numbers, concealment photographs, forensic weight/purity reports, suspect profiles, and flight or vessel manifests.
2. Technical and Physical Surveillance: Upon arrival at the destination port of entry, the recipient country's security system assumes operational command. Customs and border units allow the package to clear standard inspection channels unimpeded while covert surveillance teams—utilizing GPS beacons, undercover operatives, and electronic monitoring—track the consignment's onward movement.
3. Undercover and Courier Management: If a human courier is involved ("cooperating courier" vs. "unwitting courier"), both nations coordinate handlers to ensure the courier's safety, prevent entrapment defenses in court, and monitor communications with the receiving syndicate.

Tactical Execution: When and Where to Effect the Arrest

As the consignment approaches the destination country, operational control is transferred from the originating agency to the recipient country’s security apparatus. Effective collaboration requires integrating international intelligence with domestic tactical capabilities by:

(a). Joint Surveillance Handover: The originating Country may be required to provide Liaison officers or traveling case officers to observe the operation in the recipient state to provide real-time intelligence, though executive enforcement powers remain strictly with the host nation’s officers. (b). Integration of Domestic Units: The recipient country coordinates its customs clearance units, financial intelligence units (to trace payments), covert physical surveillance teams, and tactical intervention units. Customs systems are flagged to allow the shipment to clear inspection without arousing suspicion while maintaining continuous visual and electronic tracking.

(c). Point of Arrest: A decisive aspect of controlled delivery is selecting the exact moment and location to intervene and effect arrests. Intervening too early compromises the intelligence value of the operation; waiting too long risks losing the shipment or allowing the suspects to destroy evidence. The core objective of controlled delivery is to allow the consignment to travel as far up the criminal supply chain as safely possible before intervening. Arrests are rarely made at the airport or seaport arrival gate, as doing so only captures low-level mules or freight agents. Instead, the recipient country's tactical units effect the arrest at the final destination—such as a car park, stash house, warehouse, commercial front, or secondary distribution hub hence at the exact moment the principal organizers or high-level receivers take physical possession and exercise control over the package.

(d). Triggering the Takedown: Tactical teams strike once the suspects unseal the packaging, inspect the contents, or begin distributing the consignment, thereby establishing undeniable criminal intent (mens rea) and possession.

(e). Synchronized Simultaneous Arrests: Immediately following the takedown in the recipient country, the recipient authority notifies the originating country. Originating authorities then execute simultaneous arrest warrants against the shippers, financiers, and facilitators on their end before news of the seizure triggers them to flee or destroy evidence.

Once again, it is stressed that the Arrests are generally executed at one of three strategic points:

(a). At the Point of Receipt: When the parcel or cargo is collected at a post office, freight terminal, or delivery address., authorities often delay intervention if the recipient is merely a low-level "cut-out" or mule.

b). During Secondary Handover or Transport: Surveillance teams follow the initial recipient to observe whether the consignment is transferred to a secondary courier or transported to a stash house.

(c). At the Final Stash House or Distribution Hub: The optimal point of intervention occurs once the shipment reaches its ultimate destination, and is opened by the primary organizers, or is actively being prepared for distribution. Executing a coordinated raid at this stage connects the upper-tier suspects directly to the physical contraband, maximizes the seizure of additional drugs, cash, and communication devices, and provides indisputable proof of criminal intent (mens rea) for prosecution.

Post-Operation Evidentiary and Legal Follow-Through

A successful tactical arrest only translates into convictions if both countries maintain rigorous post-operation collaboration. Hence the need for the following collaborations:

1. Chain of Custody and Forensic Documentation: Officers from the originating country who conducted the initial interception, sampling, and substitution must provide sworn affidavits, forensic laboratory certificates, and photographic evidence to prosecutors in the recipient country to prove the substituted package originally contained illicit narcotics.
2. Financial and Asset Tracing: Both nations share financial intelligence to freeze bank accounts, seize tainted assets, and prosecute money laundering offenses connected to the shipment.
3. Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition: Where organizers operate across multiple jurisdictions, the partnering states utilize formal MLAT requests to share witness testimony or extradite key fugitives for unified prosecution.

Conclusion
Controlled delivery transforms passive border interdiction into a proactive, intelligence-led offensive against transnational organized crime. By anchoring operations in international legal frameworks, enforcing strict need-to-know security, seamlessly integrating security systems across borders, and timing arrests to capture kingpins or key decision-makers and the prosecutions of offenders.

Juxtaposing the above details and the recent cocaine saga involving the allegation by NACOC as Controlled Delivery operation may make one to say that either it was unprofessionally done or the story may not be near to the Control Delivery operation as alleged by NACOC, making the integrity of Ghanaian Officials on the matter to be doubtful.