Cocaine seizure: Alexander Abban questions Ghana’s port inspection system

By: Godbless Asaana‎
Former Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Alexander Abban, has called for a review of Ghana’s port inspection regime following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine from a container shipped from Ghana to France.
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‎ Mr. Abban said the incident should prompt authorities to reassess how inspections are conducted at the country’s ports, particularly the roles of agencies with specialized expertise in detecting prohibited goods.
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‎Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, September 19, he questioned whether Ghana’s port inspection system places sufficient emphasis on identifying illicit items rather than focusing primarily on revenue collection.
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‎He also raised concerns over reports that personnel of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) had been restricted from physically inspecting containers, arguing that their specialised training could be critical in detecting narcotics.
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‎“If one of the purposes is to establish that something illicit has also been brought into the country, what would be the justification for withdrawing the NACOC people who are trained to identify those from the many state agencies at the port?”
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‎According to him, all state agencies with specific mandates at the ports should be allowed to undertake their respective inspections to strengthen efforts to prevent illicit goods from passing through undetected.
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‎He further questioned the effectiveness of the scanning systems deployed at the ports and whether the container involved in the cocaine seizure had been flagged for further physical inspection.
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‎“Do we have any evidence that probably the scanner even captured something and flagged it, which required further physical inspection to know what exactly it was? These are the questions I’ve asked.”
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‎French Customs authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, reportedly valued at about €225 million, from a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived at the Port of Dunkirk from Ghana.
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‎The seizure has triggered renewed scrutiny of Ghana’s port security and inspection procedures, particularly the mechanisms used to detect narcotics and other prohibited items concealed in cargo.
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‎Abban also cautioned authorities against prematurely disclosing the identities of individuals arrested in connection with the case, stressing the need to protect their reputations until investigations establish their involvement.
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‎He nonetheless called for adequate information on the arrests to be made available to the public to promote transparency and accountability in the handling of the case.