NACOC Destroys GH¢12.6m Worth of Seized Illicit Drugs to Safeguard Public Health and Industry

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has destroyed over GH¢12.6 million worth of seized illicit drugs in a move aimed at safeguarding public health, protecting Ghana’s economy, and ensuring transparency in regulatory enforcement.

The destroyed substances comprising 6,513kg of cannabis valued at GH¢651,300, 1.5kg of cocaine worth GH¢135,000, and 5.9 million capsules of tramadol, ecstasy, and other synthetic drugs with a combined street value of GH¢11.9 million were incinerated at the Bundase Military Camp in the Ningo-Prampram District.

The exercise was witnessed by officials from the National Intelligence Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, National Security, Ghana Customs Service, the Ghana Ambulance Service, and the Ghana Standards Authority, which conducted on-site tests for additional verification.

Brigadier-General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, Director-General of NACOC, emphasized the Commission’s role as an enforcer of existing legislation.

“We are implementers of policy, not policymakers. Should the laws be amended to mandate that such substances be handed over to industry for use, we would comply. Until then, our mandate remains to destroy all seized drugs in line with court orders,” he explained.

He added that NACOC’s decision to conduct the destruction exercise publicly was to ensure accountability.

“We actually brought you here so that you see the transparency of our operations, so that tomorrow, nobody will say we seize a certain quantity but destroy a few of them,” he stressed.

The Commission has also stepped up public education campaigns across schools, universities, and communities, citing the rising toll of drug abuse on Ghana’s youth and productivity. Brigadier-General Mantey urged traditional and religious leaders to intensify community-level advocacy to reduce demand.

On enforcement, he reiterated NACOC’s zero-tolerance approach.

“To drug peddlers, our message is clear we are vigilant, and our surveillance is heightened. We are closing in on many of them, and once apprehended, they will face the full consequences of the law.”

Analysts note that the destruction of illicit drugs carries economic as well as social importance, as drug trafficking and abuse undermine productivity, distort legitimate markets, and strain public health systems. While some policy voices have floated the possibility of industrial use of seized narcotics, NACOC insists such options remain a matter for lawmakers.

The GH¢12.6 million destruction underscores both the scale of Ghana’s illicit drug problem and the cost to society if enforcement and prevention are not pursued aggressively.

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