Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has detailed how drug traffickers are finding new ways to evade detection at Ghana’s ports.

According to him, some even buy scanners to test if it can detect drugs, while others mix drugs with substances intended to throw sniffer dogs off the scent, forcing security agencies to continually update their detection methods.

Major General Mantey made this known when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on October 20, 2026.

"There was an investigation we're doing that somebody, a trafficker, has bought his own scanner to try and see whether when it's scanned there will be images.

"And they try to mix the drugs with things that will push the dogs away", he stated.

He cited an incident involving an airport security supervisor who allegedly used his position to bypass security procedures.

According to him, the supervisor carried a bag through the airport, went to a washroom to change, and proceeded towards a flight using the same bag that a traveller had been using.

"I mean he's one of the supervisors. He comes in with a bag, you are a subordinate. You cannot say you should check him. He bypasses the place, goes with the same bag that the traveler was using to the washroom and change and the guy is on his way to the flight", he recounted.

Major General Mantey said the incident shows how difficult it is for subordinate officers to challenge personnel in supervisory positions, even when their actions raised security concerns.

He said drug traffickers were motivated by weaknesses in the country’s security systems, while NACOC struggled with inadequate infrastructure to match their methods.

“Traffickers are motivated because they see weaknesses in our system. But we are demotivated because we don't have the requisite infrastructure to fight them,” he told the committee.

He acknowledged that the remuneration and other conditions of service for personnel were not satisfactory, but said the financial rewards from drug trafficking encouraged offenders to take greater risks.

“Their returns are huge and so they will do anything,” he said.

Major General Mantey said the methods used by traffickers had become increasingly complex, requiring security personnel to remain alert and anticipate their moves.

Describing the pressure on officers, he said it took a disciplined and trained mind to resist the offers and proposals that some individuals brought to his office.

“It is so complex that if you blink for a second, you are in trouble,” he said.

The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has revealed how drug traffickers are finding new ways to evade detection at Ghana’s ports, including buying scanners to test whether they can detect drugs.

He said some traffickers also mix drugs with substances intended to throw sniffer dogs off the scent, making it harder for security agencies to intercept narcotics.

Major General Mantey made the revelations when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

He said drug traffickers were taking advantage of weaknesses in the country’s security systems, while NACOC lacked the necessary infrastructure to effectively counter their methods.

“Traffickers are motivated because they see weaknesses in our system. But we are demotivated because we don't have the requisite infrastructure to fight them,” he told the committee.

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He added that the huge financial returns from drug trafficking encouraged offenders to take greater risks, despite the efforts of security agencies to stop them.

“Their returns are huge and so they will do anything,” he said.

Major General Mantey said the sophistication of the methods used by traffickers required security personnel to remain alert, as even a momentary lapse could compromise an operation.

“It is so complex that if you blink for a second, you are in trouble,” he said.

He cited an incident involving an airport security supervisor who allegedly exploited his position to bypass security procedures.

According to the NACOC boss, the supervisor carried a bag through the airport, went to a washroom to change and proceeded towards a flight with the same bag a traveller had been using.

He said such situations made enforcement difficult, particularly when junior officers were expected to challenge their superiors over suspicious conduct.

Major General Mantey further disclosed that NACOC had investigated a case in which a suspected drug trafficker bought a scanner to find out whether it would reveal the presence of drugs.

He said traffickers also experimented with substances intended to mislead sniffer dogs, forcing security agencies to find better ways to detect concealed narcotics.

Major General Mantey said NACOC was sharing intelligence with French, European and American counterparts to improve cooperation against drug trafficking.

JKB/VPO

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