Ten individuals, including four officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, are currently in custody as investigations intensify into suspected drug trafficking through Ghana’s ports.
The development emerged after President John Dramani Mahama held an urgent meeting with the country’s security chiefs on Thursday, September 17, 2026, where he received a comprehensive briefing on investigations surrounding the movement of narcotic substances through Ghanaian ports and their subsequent trafficking beyond the country.
According to a statement issued by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, ten individuals, among them four Customs officers, have been detained while the investigations continue.
The authorities, however, have not publicly identified any of the persons being held. The Presidency has also not disclosed the specific allegations against them or indicated whether formal charges have been filed, underscoring the fact that the investigations remain ongoing.
The detention of four Customs officers represents a significant development in the widening inquiry, particularly because the Customs Division plays a central role in inspecting cargo and enforcing controls at Ghana’s ports. Nevertheless, the Presidency has not established wrongdoing against any of the officers, and their detention should therefore not be interpreted as proof of criminal liability.
The latest development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Ghana’s port security arrangements following a series of drug seizures connected to consignments originating from Ghana.
French customs authorities recently intercepted nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine from a container shipped from Ghana, while other drug trafficking cases involving Ghanaian ports and international destinations have also intensified concerns about weaknesses in cargo screening, intelligence sharing and coordination among security agencies.
The concerns had prompted the Presidency to convene the high level security meeting, which brought together key institutions responsible for border protection, customs administration, maritime security, intelligence gathering and narcotics control.
Discussions at the meeting examined existing security arrangements and vulnerabilities across the country’s borders, while attention was also directed towards intelligence sharing, cargo screening, inter agency coordination and the use of technology to detect and disrupt the movement of illicit substances.
President Mahama has subsequently directed the establishment of an inter agency task force to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for preventing narcotic trafficking through Ghana’s ports and borders.
The task force is expected to produce its proposals within two weeks. Its recommendations are expected to focus on strengthening coordination among the various institutions operating within the country’s border and port security architecture, while identifying weaknesses that could be exploited by individuals involved in the trafficking of narcotic substances.
The President’s directive also places renewed emphasis on the need for closer cooperation among Customs, intelligence agencies, narcotics control authorities, law enforcement institutions and other bodies responsible for monitoring the movement of cargo into and out of Ghana.
The latest action comes as authorities face increasing pressure to strengthen Ghana’s ability to detect illicit consignments before they leave the country and to identify not only couriers and freight handlers but also individuals who may be involved at other stages of the trafficking chain.
For now, however, the identities of the ten persons in custody remain undisclosed, while investigators continue their work to establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected trafficking operations and determine whether further arrests or prosecutions will follow.
