Ghana will become hostile territory for drug traffickers – Kumadoe

Security analyst Richard Kumadoe says Ghana is stepping up efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks, warning that traffickers who use the country as a transit point risk arrest either locally or at their intended destinations. He said security agencies were deepening intelligence-sharing and international cooperation to track suspected traffickers and dismantle networks operating across national borders. Speaking on Channel One TV on Sunday, November 1, Mr Kumadoe said authorities could use controlled delivery operations to monitor suspicious consignments and allow shipments to proceed under surveillance to facilitate arrests further along the trafficking chain. “If you use our territory or our environment, here will become very hostile to you in such a way that we either get you arrested here or we will send you with a package away with a tip-off so that you’ll be arrested in wherever you are going as your final destination,” he said. His comments followed the arrest of a Syrian passenger in Lebanon after 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine were discovered in his luggage. The passenger, identified only as B.H., had travelled from Accra to Beirut aboard a Middle East Airlines flight. Mr Kumadoe said the seizure was connected to a controlled delivery operation involving Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities, intended to help identify other individuals linked to the shipment. He said the approach demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led enforcement, with security agencies working beyond Ghana’s borders to track suspects and disrupt trafficking networks rather than concentrating solely on drug seizures at entry and exit points. He added that stronger cooperation among security agencies and investment in screening technology would be critical to preventing traffickers from exploiting Ghana as a transit route.