The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says it has launched an investigation into the seizure in Australia of approximately 320 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of charcoal allegedly exported from Ghana.
In a statement issued on Friday (19 June), NACOC said it had taken note of reports by the Australian Federal Police regarding the interception of the consignment, which Australian authorities estimate was worth nearly US$300 million.
“The Commission has commenced investigations into the matter and is working closely with internal security agencies and its foreign partners to identify, trace, and apprehend all individuals connected to the attempted trafficking operation,” the statement said.
NACOC added that it remained committed to strengthening international cooperation and ensuring that Ghana’s territory and commercial channels are not exploited by transnational drug trafficking networks.
The announcement comes after Australian investigators linked a major methamphetamine trafficking operation to a shipment originating from Ghana.
Authorities in Australia allege the drugs were concealed in sacks of charcoal and transported through commercial cargo channels before being intercepted at Port Botany in Sydney.
The case has attracted international attention following the arrest of three suspects, including a British actress and an Adelaide-based couple, who have been charged in connection with the alleged trafficking network.
The development has also reignited political debate in Ghana over concerns about the country’s exposure to international drug trafficking routes.
Earlier, Assin South MP and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, called for a thorough investigation into Ghana’s alleged role in the shipment.
“Another major $296 million drug bust originating from our country? When I kept cautioning about Ghana becoming a transit point for drug trafficking, NDC and Jubilee House released all their attack machineries on me,” Fordjour wrote on social media platform X.
The opposition lawmaker argued that the latest seizure reinforced warnings he had previously made about Ghana’s vulnerability to transnational narcotics networks and called on NACOC and other security agencies to provide answers.
“Now see the international embarrassment. NACOC and BNI owe this country explanation. They shouldn’t escape accountability,” he added.
NACOC’s decision to open an investigation marks the first official response by Ghanaian authorities since details of the Australian operation emerged.
The Commission did not indicate whether any arrests had been made in Ghana or identify the exporter linked to the shipment, but said investigations were ongoing in collaboration with domestic and international partners.
Source: asaaseradio.com
